Business Daily (Nairobi)

NEWS
19 June 2008
Posted to the web 19 June 2008

By Albert Muriuki

President Kibaki is calling for urgent action on rising food prices to avoid a looming crisis, especially among Africa's poor.

He said stagnation in agricultural productivity, rising cost of fuel and fertilisers as well as climate change needed global solutions that can only be found through international platforms such as FAO.

Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) says Africa accounts for 21 of the 37 countries worst affected by high food prices.

Lesotho, Somalia, Swaziland and Zimbabwe are classified as having exceptional food shortages.

Eritrea, Liberia, Mauritania and Sierra Leone are said to be experiencing widespread lack of access while 13 other countries are classified as suffering severe localised food insecurity.

"For the poor people who are shouldering the heaviest burden of the current high food prices, a solution must be found now," Mr Kibaki said yesterday.

The World Bank estimates that more than 100 million people are at risk of starvation.

The President said climate change had worsened the current food crisis through its impact on weather patterns and ultimately on agricultural output.

"The effects of climate change are evident to all. Climate change is having a disastrous impact on infrastructure, agricultural production and on the survival and well-being of our people," he said.

According to the Africa Progress Panel - an independent body of leaders lead by former UN Secretary- General Kofi Annan -Africa needs to more than double its agricultural productivity. The panel says response to the current crisis is likely to take time in producing results.

"This is an enormous challenge - there is little unused high-quality land left, input prices such as that of fertiliser are rising, and the yield potential of current technologies has been static for decades," the panel says in its 2008 report.

Mr Kibaki called for greater exploitation of Africa's natural resources to increase production of rice, sugar and other crops using the vast water "basins which are yet to be full exploited."

Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/200806191066.html