Youth can help fight hunger, Ifad says
Vegetables at a stand at the Central ASK show at Kabiruini in Nyeri town on September 13, 2017. Ifad says the youth can play a crucial role in alleviating food shortage. PHOTO | JOSEPH KANYI | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- The youth can be funded to discover new technologies that will help boost farm produces.
- He cited issues of land grabbing and lack of access to land for farming as a major setback in the sector.
BRASILIA
The youth can help fight food insecurity if equipped with knowledge and financed to invest in Agriculture.
The International Fund for Agricultural Development (Ifad) president Gilbert Houngbo said processes aimed at uplifting the lives of the youth is critical, including interesting them to engage in modern agricultural practices.
He said agricultural technologies can help reduce hunger by 50 per cent globally.
RURAL AREAS
Speaking to journalists in Brasilia, Brazil, Mr Hongbo said Ifad has started investing in the youth in developing countries.
“It’s important to ensure we invest in the young people and make them comfortable in the rural areas.
“Rural transformation at policy level and training the youth to start business and in cooperate ICT in hardship associated areas is among the key agenda that we have in improving food security, “he said.
The youth can be funded to discover new technologies that will help boost farm produces.
He said it is important for governments to aim at fighting hunger by investing on the rural communities and the youth.
Currently over 20 million people have been facing starvation in the horn of Africa in the last two years due to climate change related issues.
FARMING
Funding of agricultural projects have also become a major challenge as resources are being diverted to other development projects.
He cited issues of land grabbing and lack of access to land for farming as a major setback in the sector.
Mr Hongbo also said rural urban migration has further posed a major challenge in most countries across the world raising the need to have the challenge arrested by increasing the funds allocated to the youth.
“The loans also help small scale farmers to have access to improved seeds, have heavy investment on irrigation schemes and use ICT.
He said it is important for governments to invest in the rural communities and the youth to boost food production.
According to the state of food security and nutrition around the word report of 2017 by United Nations, food insecurity has been on the rise and it is estimated that the number of malnourished people increased to 815 million in 2016 up from 777 million in 2015.
