By Delly Waigeno – EMTV News, Port Moresby
Sustainable agriculture for food security was discussed yesterday, at a side event of the African Caribbean and Pacific Group of States Summit.
The high-level panel was organised by the ACP Secretariat and CTA, which is the Technical Centre for agriculture and Rural Cooperation.
The meeting was in line with the theme of the Summit which is “Repositioning the ACP Group to Respond to the Challenges of Sustainable Development.”
The side event on sustainable agriculture highlighted the pressing need for major action to be taken on food and agriculture globally, the ACP States included.
Director of CTA, Michael Hailu, said the need to adapt agricultural systems to respond to climate change and extreme weather events has never been more urgent.
It was discussed that transforming agriculture as an engine for growth in the ACP will require significant and well coordinated investments by the public and private sectors.
The Deputy Prime Minister of Namibia said long term innovative financing that’s responsive to the needs of both large scale and small holder farmers in a one-size-fits-all is not a solution. She said smart agriculture production is needed.
The role women play in agricultural systems as producers was also mentioned. They contribute to the labour force and are central to ensuring household nutrition and driving entrepreneurship and demand in the sector.
Executive Director of the PNG Women in Business, Janet Sape, shared the experiences of women in Papua New Guinea.
Given the dominance of agriculture in the economy of most ACP countries, the panel discussed that increased productivity in the sector will be a key driver and a critical component of inclusive growth.
