By Kebba AF Touray
The 34th edition of the Food Crisis Prevention Network (RPCA in French), yesterday December 3rd 2018, began at a local hotel in Brufut.
The event is designed for officials to brainstorm and exchange ideas on how to combat food crisis and insecurity.
Atilla Lajos, the EU Ambassador to The Gambia, highlighted that agricultural problems remain unresolved; that this is increasingly affected by climatic conditions, and that at present, 4.5 million people face food crisis in the region. He urged that the recommendations of network be implemented as it is key in overcoming the menace.
Vice President Ousainou Daboe who was also in attendance, said The Gambia like many other countries in the sub-region, continues to be actively engaged in the attainment of food and nutrition security; that the issue of food security and food self-sufficiency, is a matter of a collective concern and thus requires global efforts to realise its achievement.
“The Gambia’s agriculture sector has been striving under difficult conditions and about 95 % of the country’s population are farmers, who can barely sustain themselves from their produce,” he said; that the current Government is committed and will continue to ensure that food and nutrition security for the Gambian people, is realised.
He also said that in most of the countries in the sub-region, women form the majority in the agriculture and food production sectors to ensure house hold food security among others; that thus the Government is committed to providing the appropriate labour saving devices and technology in order to reduce the drudgery of women, in order to build the resilience of households.
Other speakers at the gathering include Mr. Francois Xavier De Donnea, President of SWAC, Daniel Moore, Mission Director UDSAID West Africa and Jean Claude Kassi Brou, President ECOWAS Commission.
