801 (XXX). Food security and self-sufficiency in Africa

The Conference of Ministers,

            Having examined the report on the situation of food and agriculture production, especially in the context of food security and self-sufficiency in Africa,

            Aware of the fact that hunger, malnutrition and the lack of other basic needs cannot be eliminated on a lasting basis through humanitarian assistance,

            Further aware of the importance of food security and self-sufficiency to the realization of sustained socio-economic growth and development in Africa, most of it highly dependent on agriculture, coupled with the fact that the largest share of Africa's poor reside in the rural areas,

            Deeply concerned at the continuing deterioration of the food and agriculture situation in Africa over the past twenty years, the food insecurity and malnutrition mostly found in the rural areas, and which have been compounded by unfavourable climatic conditions and civil unrest in some parts of the region,

            Recalling various other previous resolutions and documentation on this subject matter, including the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s, adopted by the General Assembly in 1991, which accords a high priority to the food and agriculture sector,

            Convinced of the need to ensure that food requirements of the region are met through the implementation of concrete polices and measures aimed at improving food and agriculture production, in close linkage with the other sectors of the economy,

            1.         Calls upon member States to create a conducive macroeconomic environment, including the design of effective and appropriate policy interventions that go beyond the agricultural sector for the enhancement of all required capacities for food and agriculture production, especially in the areas of human, institutional and infrastructural capacities in order to bring about needed diversification;

            3.         Urges the subregional economic communities to build a framework for cooperation that aims at developing subregional and regional trade;

            3.         Appeals to the international community to adopt the measures to cushion the adverse impact of the liberalization of agricultural prices under the Final Act of the Uruguay Round on Africa's food and agriculture sector through, inter alia, operationalizing the Marrakech decision on least developed countries and net food-importing countries;

            4.         Requests the Economic Commission for Africa and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to strengthen programmes designed to promote food security and self-sufficiency within each subregion and in the region as a whole;

            5.         Calls upon the Executive Secretary of the Commission, in cooperation with the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization and other relevant United Nations organizations, to evolve a comprehensive strategy that seeks viable economic development and encourages sustainable agriculture and rural development, including, inter alia, land-use policies, access to modern inputs, management of natural resources and the environment, issues relating to the rehabilitation of societies, enhanced private sector participation and measures to promote agricultural trade;

            6.         Further requests the Executive Secretary of the Commission to report on the implementation of this resolution to the next Conference of Ministers.

                                                                                                                                          296th meeting,

                                                                                                                                             3 May 1995.