Photo: Supplied
Dr Babagana Ahmadu, regional representative of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations in Southern Africa, said that South Africa could play a pivotal role in strengthening food security across the region.
“It is a shame to see countries in Africa suffering from food shortages, people dying from malnutrition and the adverse impacts of drought. Yet, South Africa’s food system is thriving. Our farmers are resilient. They are early adopters of innovative technologies that conserves resources, while reducing food waste.”
He noted that across Africa, up to 60% of the food produced is wasted.
“South Africa has world class infrastructure in place. We can offer knowledge on best practices for neighbouring countries, while also becoming a trade hub that can benefit the rest of the continent. Herein it is important to create a harmonised quality and food safety standard to enhance trade.”
Speaking at the opening of the conference, Parks Tau, minister of trade, industry and competition, said that such standards have traditionally created barriers to entry for small-scale farmers. These standards needed to be streamlined and simplified to ensure that food remained safe, but that smallholders were not excluded from the market.
He noted that Africa’s wholesale markets are essential players in the food supply chain. To boost food security and greater participation of farmers in the wholesale markets, Tau pointed to his department’s policies that would boost infrastructure involved in getting produce from the farm to the market.
This included a focus on roads, distribution networks, digitalisation of market functions to create transparency, and the creation of clusters of smallholder farmers to create economies of scale.
Increasing trade with Africa and the rest of the world was also a priority, which Tau said would drive growth in the agriculture sector.
Negotiating bilateral trade agreements was a key focus, especially with countries in the Far East. Some 64% of South Africa’s agricultural exports are currently destined for Africa, with 22% going to the EU.
Reinforcing the city’s commitment to improving wholesale markets, Dada Morero, executive mayor for the City of Johannesburg, affirmed the City’s commitment to drive sustainability in wholesale markets.
“The markets are an important player in the quest to reach the Sustainable Development Goals, since these entities speak to food security, erasing poverty and ensuring equality.”
