UN deputy secretary general Amina Mohammed has called for sustainable investments to build food sovereignty in Africa.
She also underscored the need to strengthen domestic resources, invest in climate action, and fix global financial architecture.
Deputy spokesperson for the UN secretary general Farhan Haq told journalists on Tuesday in New York that Mohammed discussed this at the ongoing UN Food Systems Summit+2 Stocktaking Moment (UNFSS+2) in Rome, Italy.
The UN top official spoke at a high-level special event on Africa’s food sovereignty and resilience, organised by the Interdepartmental Task Force on African Affairs (IDTFAA) on the sidelines of the summit.
“Pollution, overfishing, over-exploitation, acidification and the impacts of climate change and increasing sea surface temperatures disrupt the ocean’s vital functions, imperil biodiversity, and deplete its resources that are vital for people and planet alike,” said Ms Mohammed.
She said the challenges facing the ocean, combined with economic and environmental burdens within small island nations, represent an “immediate threat.”
“For vulnerable people, the effects are all too immediate. For example, between June and September 2022, nearly 94 per cent of small island developing states faced food inflation levels above five per cent, with many experiencing inflation in the double digits,” added Ms Mohammed.
She stressed it was putting nutritious food out of reach, impacting children, women and those below the poverty line most of all.
“Together, let us recognise the urgency of protecting our oceans and coastal ecosystems, safeguarding the future of food systems in small island developing states, and forging a path towards a more sustainable and equitable world that benefits all people,” the UN deputy secretary general noted.
According to him, Mohammed later took part in a farmer’s market event together with Antonio Tajani, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Italy.
