Yaounde, 19 December 2024 (ECA) - Central Africa can put an end to the paradoxical situation in which it depends on massive food imports to feed itself, even though it holds unique potential for competitive agriculture capable of meeting the needs of its population.
Growing food insecurity in the sub-region is attributable, among other things, to low agricultural productivity, rising fertilizer prices exacerbated by the double shock of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, and persistently high prices for imported foodstuffs.
Participating to a webinar this December 19, 2024 on the theme “Investing in fertilizer special economic zones and petrochemical value chains to revolutionize agriculture in Central Africa”, the continent's experts are calling on countries in the sub-region to intensify agricultural production by setting up special economic zones for fertilizer production.
Boaz Keizire, vice-president of the Alliance for the Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) points out that “despite abundant arable land and the commitment made by heads of state at the Malabo summit in 2014, agricultural systems on the continent and in Central Africa continue to record low yields. By way of illustration, productivity per hectare of maize is 1.7 tonnes in Africa, while it fluctuates between 7 and 8 tonnes in the United States of America. The countries of Central Africa must work to enrich their soils”.
There is no shortage of factor endowments. Based on a study currently being finalized by ECA Sub-Regional Office for Central Africa, Bertrand Ngnie points out that the “sub-region is richly endowed with the inputs required for the production of nitrogen fertilizers. Central Africa has large reserves of oil, natural gas, potash and phosphate, which justify the development of a regional NPK fertilizer value chain”.
The sub-region can benefit from the best practices of countries such as Egypt, Morocco and South Africa. Samir Elkareish suggested “the establishment of a platform made up of countries in the sub-region and advanced countries as well as partners for a coalition leading towards fertilizer production and increased agricultural production in Central Africa”.
Jean Luc Mastaki, Director of ECA Sub-Regional Office for Central Africa, called for the creation of a platform for exchanges involving a wide range of stakeholders, with a view to continuing discussions on the stakes, challenges and opportunities of agricultural transformation in Central Africa. He also emphasized that “local production and increased use of fertilizers, combined with improved agricultural production techniques, would eventually help to gradually free Central Africa from its heavy dependence on food imports, which increases the vulnerability of populations, particularly the poorest, to external shocks”, emphasized Jean Luc Mastaki.
Media Queries
Zacharie Roger MBARGA - Communications Officer
Subregional Office for Central Africa
United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
637, rue 3.069, Quartier du Lac, Yaoundé, Cameroon
Tel: (+237) 222504348
E-mail: zacharie.mbargayene@un.org
Issued by:
Communications Section
Economic Commission for Africa
PO Box 3001
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Tel: +251 11 551 5826
E-mail: eca-info@un.org