Accra, July 27, GNA - Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, Minister of Food and Agriculture, has called on African governments to embrace and invest in science and technology to transform the agricultural sector.
Dr Akoto said there was no way to develop agriculture without science, adding that it was imperative for African continent to prioritise the role of science in order to improve agricultural productivity.
He made the call in a speech read on his behalf at the opening ceremony of a three-day continental validation and synthesis workshop on Science agenda for Agriculture in Africa (S3A) in Accra.
The programme is a joint initiative by the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), an apex continental organization responsible for coordinating and advocating for agricultural research for development, African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services, African Union Commission (AUC), Council for Scientific and Industrial Research among others.
The S3A was launched in Johannesburg in November 2014 with the vision that “By 2030 Africa is food secure, a global scientific player, and the world’s breadbasket”.
The implementation of the science agenda starts with five countries, also known as tier-one countries in Africa including Ghana, Egypt, Malawi, Senegal and Rwanda.
The countries were selected based on a set of modelling criteria to show a country’s readiness to invest, implement, lead and showcase the contribution of science to the national development agenda of Africa.
The Minister noted that agriculture had the greatest potential to reduce poverty and without appropriate application of science, technology and innovation; agriculture would only be practice as subsistence.
“African continents has the highest rates of poverty, hunger and malnutrition, saying increasing population, urbanisation and climate change were challenges that African leaders should respond for inclusive and sustainable growth, peace and prosperity,” he added.
He said realisation of the science agenda’s vision depended on effective domestication of the framework into national strategies, investment plans and action plans taking cognisance of the contexts, challenges, opportunities and priorities of countries.
He said the African Union Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa and the endorsement of the Science Agenda for Agriculture in Africa by African Heads of States and Governments represented pillars that show the drive for agricultural transformation.
“It was necessary for African leaders to prioritise the research needs for Africa for Africa to meet its national targets for food and nutrition security, discuss on key stakeholders required for a holistic implementation of the science agenda as well as the investment needed.”
Dr Yemi Akinbamijo, the Executive Director of FARA said in 2012, the AUC and the New Partnership for Africa's Development mandated FARA to co-ordinate the development of a Science Agenda for Agriculture through a consultative process that cultivated African ownership of the product.
He said the goal of the science agenda was the realisation of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme target of doubling agricultural productivity by 2025.
Dr Akinbamijo said it behoves African leaders to modernise agriculture to attract the youth into farming because the teeming youth saw agriculture as an unattractive profession.
Other dignitaries include Dr Augustine Wambo, Head of Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme, Mr Mahama Ouedrago, Director, Department of Human Resource Science and Technology of AUC, Mr William Hanna, Head of European Union delegation in Ghana, and Dr Abdoulaye Toure, Lead Economist with the World Bank's Agriculture Global Practice.
The African leaders affirmed the commitment to support and implement the science agenda in the development of a country driven investment proposal and financing plan.
GNA
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