FAO launches hunger campaign in Ghana

  1. Posted on Thursday 19 August 2010 - 09:30
    Dolphyne
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    Joseph Appiah-Dolphyne, AfricaNews editor in Accra, Ghana
    The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Africa is set to launch an international campaign against hunger in Ghana this week. The 1billionhungry campaign highlights the growing problem of global hunger which now affects more than one billion people worldwide.
    FAO
    The aim of the campaign is to act as a reminder to world leaders to eliminate global hunger and deliver the L’Aquilla statement on food security by scaling up investments in agriculture and addressing the root causes of hunger and poverty. Over a quarter of a billion people in Africa currently suffer from malnutrition and 30% of Africans face hunger.

    The worst hit areas are in Central and Eastern Africa with food crisis linked to conflicts occurring in Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia and Ethiopia. In addition, a worsening food crisis in Niger has increased the number of people affected by malnutrition in the Sahel.

    Boosting Africa’s production of food has been a major cause of concern for government and regional institutions in the efforts to achieve food security. However issues such as rural poverty, investments to the agriculture sector and marketing constraints have also been highlighted as posing serious challenge to hunger reduction.

    FAO operates throughout the region supporting African government in alleviating hunger and building capacity to deliver agriculture development. Regional programmes to support hunger reduction include the recently implemented EU Food Facility operational in 16 countries and the Special Programme for Food Security covering 35 countries across Africa.

    Jacque Diouf Director General FAO has called for urgent action to address chronic hunger in Africa. Diouf at the recent FAO Regional Conference for Africa held in Luanda, Angola noted that the global downturn had heralded a new approach towards international action on hunger arguing the recession had, “placed agriculture and food security at the heart of national and regional development policies and programmes, [allowing] us to look to the next decade with greater optimism.”

    The FAO 1billionhungry campaign has already been supported by more than 400,000 people who have signed a petition against hunger to be presented to the 140th session of the FAO Council taking place in Rome between 29 Nov - 3 Dec 2010.

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