Bridges Trade BioRes • Volume 6 • Number 2 • 3rd February 2006

African Ministers, FAO Focus on Agriculture, Biotechnology

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Ministers of Agriculture from across Africa met in Bamako, Mali, from 31 January to 1 February for an African Union Ministers of Agriculture meeting, and also for the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) 24th Regional Conference for Africa on 30 January and 2 February. Participants focused on food security in Africa, with relevant items including seeds and biotechnology, agrarian reform, rural credit availability, land policies and the Millennium Development Goals. An experts meeting on 31 January called on the AU to create a High-Level Panel of Eminent Personalities on Food Security in Africa to provide advice to promote strategies for the development of agricultural production and mobilisation of resources for eradicating poverty and food insecurity. Similarly, speakers at the Ministers’ meeting stressed the need for more investments in agricultural research, with FAO General Director Jacques Diouf emphasising the role of rural finance in enhancing food security.

On the issue of biotechnology, the background documents for the FAO conference pointed out the pros and cons of modern biotechnology for Africa. While they acknowledged that biotechnology could help address the problem of food security in Africa they cautioned against the fast pace of genetic change and its potential adverse impact on the biosphere. The papers also highlighted the lack of regulatory framework on biotechnology in some African countries. Regarding African seeds, the conference materials noted the need for Africa to establish a dynamic seed sector development strategy that will guarantee access to quality seeds by farmers. In this regard, FAO has proposed the creation of an integrated “Seed System Development Programme” for Africa that could provide a strategic approach to the comprehensive development of the seed sector, taking into account regional and country-level priorities.

The FAO meeting documents are available at http://www.fao.org/Unfao/Bodies/RegConferences/arc24/24arc_en.htm

Further information on the African Union meeting is available at: http://www.africa-union.org/root/au/Conferences/Past/2006/January/REA/jan31/conference_of_ministers.htm