The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw has urged Africans to refrain from engaging in activities that may result in land degradation.
Noting that Africa has suffered 44% of the world's significant droughts over the last 100 years, Mr. Thiaw said that land degradation reduces the ability to produce sufficient and nutritious food, quality water and quality air.
"In the last 50 years, the continent has suffered economic damage of more than USD 70 billion, not to mention immense human hardship. Africa, which is very rich in ecosystems, traditions and knowledge, holds a key," said Mr. Thiaw.
"The continent has long practiced sustainable agriculture from the terraced fields of Rwanda to the agroforestry traditions of West Africa. It’s time to amplify these African led solutions, scaling them up and out".
Mr. Thiaw spoke during the GLF 2023 Hybrid Conference that kicked off in Nairobi on October 11.
The event has brought together thousands of leading African changemakers, scientists, practitioners and community leaders from more than 130 countries.
Under a theme, A New Vision for Earth, the delegates discuss ways to transform food systems, secure land rights, and restore landscapes through African-led solutions.
According to Jochen Flasbarth, State Secretary of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), landscape may be restored through soil restoration, peatland rehabilitation, and forest landscape restoration.
He stated that landscapes must be taken seriously since they offer a wide range of ecosystem services and are the foundation of agriculture.
On food system transformation, Daniel M'Mailutha, CEO of the Kenya National Farmers' Federation (KENAFF), urged the continent to prioritize farmers' concerns.
“We need to make sure that farmers understand that it is in their self-interest to do what is right as far as the landscape is concerned," said Daniel.
At the same time, African youths were encouraged to avoid travelling to cities in search of white-collar jobs and instead focus on agriculture to help close the sector's massive deficit.
“In Africa, and especially in my country today, the average farmer is sixty years old. And yet, our nation is fairly youthful. That begs the question – who is going to feed us?” said Jenice Achieng, Kenya Country Representative of YPARD.
“We need to shift this narrative of going to the cities to get white-collar jobs and expose and show that there is a very big space in agriculture.”
Philis Njane, Deputy Director of Research and Innovation and an Agricultural Economist at the Ministry of Agriculture of Kenya, said, "We are encouraging the use of biodiverse and local food, and for this, we have a policy framework, a legal notice to require all millers to brand their products with the forgotten foods to ensure that local households are using more biodiverse foods that are local."
