According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), food production in Sub-Saharan Africa grew in 2008 for the first time in decades. Production increased by 3.5 percent, which was higher than the 2 percent increase in the continent’s population. According to the report by the FAO, the increase can be attributed by increased use of technology. Other factors include positive changes in national policies for agriculture and higher food prices, which have the effect of stimulating growth (think from the supplier’s perspective).
But it’s not just big companies that are behind this growth. According to Daniel M’Reri, an agricultural expert with Sumitomo Corporation in Kenya, improvements in farming methods by smallholder farmers are also paying off. For instance, the adoption of new irrigation methods, including water conserving drip irrigation, is enabling farmers to become less vulnerable to erratic rainfall and other climate changes.
As welcoming as this news is, Africa, a continent that struggles with food deficiency, still has a long way to go. According to the report, some challenges include the use of science and technology. It particular, it says “determined action” is needed in technological innovation and that poor transfer of agricultural technologies to farmers has led to a low uptake of irrigation, fertilizers, pesticides and superior seeds. Moreover, Africa must make better use of its land and water if growth is to be sustained or even boosted.
Source: SciDiv Net
