Rural populations everywhere, are on the front line of poverty, hunger, and climate change. Climate variability and extremes are a key force behind the recent rise in global hunger and a deteriorating food security situation in Africa. Degraded natural capital is straining to support growing populations. Fragile rural economies feed an unsustainable level of rural-to-urban migration, fuel political discontent and conflict. In the context of the growing climate crisis, we urgently need to change the way we invest in rural areas: so that they are more sustainable, resilient and productive; so that rural populations reach their human development potential and find stable jobs; and countries are freed from poverty, hunger and the worst impacts of climate change.
Core partners — African Union Commission (AUC), African Development Bank (AfDB), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and World Bank (WB) — are convening this high-level meeting in Kigali on August 5-6, 2019. The event, which will be hosted by the Government of Rwanda, will pull together heads of state, ministers of agriculture and finance, heads of international institutions and Regional Economic Commissions (RECs), Nobel laureates, and eminent scientists to catalyze actions and financing to help address Africa’s worsening food security crisis under climate change.
The dialogue will facilitate engagement between key stakeholders to galvanize unified action around adaptation of Africa’s agriculture and food systems to climate change. At the Kigali meeting, the core partners are expected to sign a communiqué that will formalize a commitment to better coordinate and facilitate joint actions; the document will be available for endorsement by all attendees.
The Africa Food Security Leadership Dialogue is fully in line with the Africa Union Agenda 2063 and is intended to support the implementation of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP) and leverage existing platforms.
