Addis Ababa, June 20, 2023 (FBC) – Half of the nutritionally dense foods produced in sub-Saharan African countries are lost across the value chain from production to consumption, said Girma Amante, Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources of Ethiopia said at the IGAD High-Level Ministerial Meeting in Addis Ababa.
IGAD member state ministers in Charge of Agriculture and Food Safety convene in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for the High-Level Ministerial Meeting to Validate IGAD Regional Food Safety and Post-Harvest Loss Management Strategies.
Girma Amante underscored that post-harvest management is one important strategic area that the stakeholders need to focus on to increase the quantity of food available and the overall access of the regional population to food.
Speaking on behalf of the IGAD Executive Secretary Workneh Gebeyehu, IGAD Director of Agriculture and Environment, Mr. Daher Elmi said: “These two strategies seek to address the recurrent issues of food insecurity, reduce livelihood vulnerabilities, increase resilience, and contribute to the growth and socioeconomic development of the region.
IGAD is committed to the implementation of these strategies and work hand in hand with member states and development partners in moving towards the attainment of sustainable development goals and the AU Agenda 2063.”
“I invite you all to carefully consider these strategies and validate them so that we can implement them in an effective and coordinated manner. We need to harmonize our food safety and post-harvest loss management standards, practices and procedures to facilitate regional trade and enhance food security for our people. Together, we can build efficient, resilient and sustainable food systems to ensure the prosperity of our nations and the well-being of our citizens,” stated the Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation of Djibouti, Mohamed Ahmed Awaleh.