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Morocco will host the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) Regional Conference for Africa in 2024.
Participants in the 32nd FAO Regional Conference for Africa, which took place in Equatorial Guinea, approved Morocco’s bid to host the 33rd regional conference for Africa.
The 32nd regional conference opened on April 11 in Malabo and will continue until April 14.
The regional conference convenes high-level officials and agriculture experts to discuss challenges and solutions that meet FAO requirements.
The regional conference Morocco is set to host in 2024 aims to reinforce collaboration between Morocco, the FAO, and African countries to address challenges in the region, including rural development and food security.
Food insecurity in Africa is a source of concern for policymakers, populations, and the international community.
Populations in sub-Saharan African countries experience poverty. According to the UN, people experiencing extreme poverty in the region increased from 290 million in 1990 to 414 million in 2010.
“The region currently spends more than $35 billion on food imports per year and it is projected that by 250, Africa’s population will increase from the current 1.1 billion to 2.4 billion and that two out of every five children globally will be African,” the UN added.
Climate change is also among the challenges hampering Africa’s development as well as slowing down projects aiming to eliminate hunger and poverty.
“This is because climate change disproportionately affects the livelihoods of the most vulnerable population by increasing the occurrence of natural disasters, affecting the continuity of ecosystem functioning and the ecosystem services it provides. Climate change also damages the critical natural resources that vulnerable communities depend on,” the UN argued.
Morocco continues to affirm its commitment to contributing to the world’s efforts to tackle food insecurity in Africa.
In March, Minister of Agriculture Mohammed Sadiki emphasized that Africa has natural resources that could ensure food security across the continent.
Abed Yacoubi-Soussane, the president of Morocco’s Association of Agricultural Engineers echoed the minister’s concerns, saying: “The climate crisis is no longer to be expected, it is here, and unfortunately our continent, the least prepared, is the most affected.”
Morocco is among the countries that are facing climate change challenges, such as drought. A recent lack of rainfall has affected the country’s crops, particularly cereals.
The country has launched several campaigns to improve the agriculture sector, including a MAD 10 billion budget to help reduce the impact of delayed rainfall on Moroccan crops.
