Agriculture
Africa, Europe partner for food security─── SABRINA DEAN 16:12 Wed, 20 May 2015
Bloemfontein - The Agricultural Research Council (ARC) will be joining its counterparts in other African countries and Europe to find solutions to future global food security demands through an initiative called ProIntensAfrica.
According to research by Netherland’s Wageningen University and Research centre (WUR), one of the partner institutions, the expected growth in the world population from 7 to 9 billion, coupled with changing diets will require 70% more food by 2050.
ARC’s CEO Shadrack Moephuli says this is among the reasons for launching the ProIntensAfrica initiative, which came about following the EU-Africa summit early last year:
'Establishment of ProIntensAfrica'
Moephuli says Africa has a significant role to play in agriculture in future because productivity levels are lower than in other parts of the world:
'Africa potential'
He says the Forum for Agriculture Research in Africa has been coordinating the process and a concept note dealing with governance, funding and focus areas was accepted during a launch in Akkra in Ghana in April.
He says the next milestone will be a multi-year project proposal, with research results to start coming out over the next few years.
Sabrina Dean/OFM News
'Establishment of ProIntensAfrica':
'Africa potential':
