Food Insecurity: ECOWAS advocates increased budgetary allocation to Agriculture 

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has recommended improved budgetary allocation to the agricultural sector as a panacea for food insecurity in the sub-region.

Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Sidie Tunis, stated this at the opening of the Delocalized Meeting of the Parliament’s Joint Committee on Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources/ Infrastructure/ Energy and Mines/ Industry and Private Sector.

The meeting which was held in Bissau, Guinea Bissau, was themed: “A critical look at the ECOWAS Environmental Policy and Climate Strategy, as well as a biennial Review of the Agricultural Production, Food and Nutritional Security in Member States.”

Tunis stressed that the meeting sought to improve food security by increasing budget allocation to the agriculture sector.

Represented by the Second Deputy Speaker of the parliament, Sani Boucary, the speaker also pointed out that terrorism in the subregion and the war in Europe were negatively affecting the ECOWAS states, urging the participants to come up with recommendations to rescue the member states.

“The implementation of the committee’s commitment in the area of environment is a major concern which is set in the affairs of the institution.

“And the enhancement of powers of parliament has enabled oversight on the activities of different members of the community.

“Therefore, the parliament, through its joint committee, it is important that they understand the dynamics of agriculture and to have an annual review of agricultural produce and issues of food security in our region.

“So that we can facilitate and improve our budget in this area.

“I call upon the joint committee to attentively listen to the presentations to be done by the ECOWAS commission, the resource persons and the ministry responsible for environment and agriculture issues in Guinea Bissau.

“And that will give us an overview of the experience in total and I urge them to work in harness in order to come up with a complete recommendation which really improves agricultural productivity in the region.

“And, to strengthen the resilience of communities as they are besieged by climate change,” he said.

Also, President of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Touray, said the meeting would address major issues bedeviling people of the sub-region.

Represented by the ECOWAS Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, Massandje Toure-litse, Touray identified increase in erosion in some parts of the sub-region as one of the causes of food insecurity.

The situation, according to him, was making life difficult for community citizens, urging the parliament to come up with workable recommendations that will help address the identified issues for a better ECOWAS.

“The topic of the joint meeting of the ECOWAS commission is perfectly aligned.

“We will bear in mind and we want to talk to you in a more detailed manner during this session on the environmental policies of the ECOWAS and strategies to be developed as well as the biennial review and food security in ECOWAS member states.

“The climate strategy was adopted on June 22nd in Accra by the Authority of Heads of States and President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, was appointed by his peers as the champion of all the fights against climate change.

“Our vision is to construct a community of people who are fully integrated living in strategic peace and benefitting from all their fundamental rights and especially the right to clean environment and to have quantitative and qualitative good food,” Touray noted.

Source: Agro Nigeria