Addis Ababa, 30 September 2014 (ECA) – ClimDev-Africa Program is inviting Africa to invest more in climate change research to ensure food self-sufficiency at the fourth edition of the Climate Change and Development in Africa (CCDA IV), scheduled to take place on 8-10 October in Marrakesh, Morocco.
‘For Africa to feed itself now and in the future, it needs to make further investment in climate change research, biotechnology and development, and innovation’ emphasized ClimDev-Africa, a consortium of three leading pan-African institutions, namely the African Union Commission (AUC), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and the African Development Bank (AfDB).
This programme, which advocates ‘an African solution to climate change’, asserts ‘the need to make technology accessible and affordable to farmers, increase access to agricultural financing and insurance, facilitate market access and trade at all levels, and create a favorable environment for private sector investment in the agricultural value chain’.
The programme acknowledges however that agricultural performance could not be improved without adequate investment in clean and efficient energy, a driver for transformation of the agricultural value chain and food without increasing greenhouse gas emissions.
For this programme hosted at the African Climate Policy Center (ACPC) of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), ‘it is equally important to gain a better understanding of the linkages between agriculture, energy and water and how Africa can take advantage of ecosystems and the natural environment to attain food self-sufficiency.’
Many experts, academics, political leaders, civil society representatives and institutions engaged in climate and development are invited to find ways and means to apply this equation for Africa to enjoy climate change opportunities.
The Fourth Conference on Climate Change and Development in Africa, to be held on 8 to 10 October in Marrakesh, presents the opportunity for leading intellectuals and practitioners convened at this event to provide the continent with a direction to ensure that it benefits from the tremendous climate change opportunities.
In addition to climate research, the Marrakesh event will also provide the space for deliberations of a host of other important matters regarding the continent’s development, including the role of climate data, information and knowledge for agricultural production, the management of water resources and food security, the potential of agriculture to unleash the development of renewable energy in Africa, and innovation and technology for the transformation of agriculture in a changing climate.
ClimDev-Africa (Climate for Development in Africa) is a consortium of three leading pan-African institutions, namely the African Union Commission (AUC), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and the African Development Bank (AfDB).
Issued by:
ECA External Communications and Media Relations Section
PO Box 3001
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Tel: +251 11 551 5826
E-mail: ecainfo@uneca.org