At the Second
AfricaRice Dakar International Agriculture Forum (18–19 April), the Director
General presented strategic inputs to
the discussion on the role of agricultural innovation in the context of food
security, and AfricaRice scientists participated in a debate on global
agricultural regulations and governance in the context of the high and volatile
agricultural commodity prices of 2007–2008 and 2010–2011.
The event was
organized in Dakar under the aegis of the President of Senegal in collaboration
with the French Movement for a World Agricultural Organization (MOMAGRI).
Participants included heads of state, vice presidents, prime ministers and
agricultural ministers from 40 countries, and representatives from the donor
community, R&D organizations and farmers’ associations.
The main
purpose of this high-level meeting was
to discuss issues relating to the following questions:
·
Under
which principles can we regulate agricultural markets to prevent food crises
and avoid repeated agricultural crises?
·
What
instruments and international cooperation should be put to use to improve food
security and fight poverty?
AfricaRice
proposed that — as part of the drive
for food security for their populations — developing countries should strive to
produce at least 80% of their basic foodstuffs. Developing countries should
also develop more integrated regional markets that encompass neighboring
countries and should consider regional instead of national self-sufficiency as
a goal for many of the key food staples, to make the costs of food imports more
manageable, even when there are price shocks.
The
recommendations of the Second Dakar Forum included the following:
·
Consideration
of agriculture and food as global public goods
·
Better
regulation of agricultural markets, particularly through the establishment of a
central pricing regime, with fluctuation margins for major agricultural
commodities
·
Establishment
of international and sub-regional food reserves or buffer stocks.
These
recommendations were shared with the Economic Community of West African States
(ECOWAS), the African Union, and G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank
Governors.
The Presidents of Senegal and Sierra Leone, together with the Prime
Minister of Senegal, visited the AfricaRice booth at the Forum and interacted
with the Director General.
