PHOTO: Officials and participants at a high level panel in Monrovia
By Augustine Octavius,augustineoctavius@gmail.com
A research conducted by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations has revealed that it will require additional investment of US$2.5 billion to eradicate poverty and hunger in Liberia by 2030.
Madam Mariatou Njie, FAO Country Representative in Liberia pointed out that efforts to enhance investment in agriculture is crucial for the eradication of poverty and hunger in the country
Madam Njie was speaking at the start of a one-day high level discussion and the launch of the project aimed at creating investment in agriculture and food system in the Liberian capital, Monrovia.
According to her, more that 50 percent of such investment should target agricultural and agric -business sectors in the rural parts of the country.
“It is equally important to ensure that these investments are responsible and contribute to rather than compromise, the sustainable development goals,” she said; adding: “building on the successful capacity development programs on land-based investment in Liberia should be carried out .”
Commenting on the project, the FAO Country Representative pointed out that the scheme will an opportunity to further strengthen capacity of policy makers.
“The project will be centered on initiative such as youth agric-entrepreneurship and employment, decent work, food security, gender issues and environmental protection,” Madam Njie noted.
Deputy Finance Minister, Tenneh Brunson disclosed that the Liberian government has developed several policies for agriculture, food, and nutrition but these politicizes and program have been unsustainable due to low capacities.
Madam Brunson noted that there is a need for enhancement of investment in agriculture in order to achieve the sustainable development goals especially to end poverty and hunger.
According to the Deputy Finance, investing in agriculture and food systems has the potential to produce multiplier effects for complementary sectors such as service or manufacturing industries.
“Investment in agriculture in Liberia comes from farmers who rely primarily on family labor,” Deputy Finance Minister Brunson noted.
“These types of small scale agriculture are considered high risk and do not easily attract private investment because their decisions and abilities to invest are not central to any strategy aimed at expanding the investment in the sector,” Liberia’s Deputy Finance Minister said.
For his part, the Chief of Mission at the German Embassy, Gunter Plambeck disclosed that the pilot project was based on the bilateral trust fund between Germany and the FAO in the tune of ten million Euros.
According to him Liberia, Sierra Leone and Laos were chosen mainly because of their vast but untapped agricultural potential of good soil and plenty of rain fall.
Ambassador Plambeck said Liberia could not only feed its own population but become a bread basket of West Africa.
“To achieve this goal of self-sufficiency in food production, large scale investment from both public and private will be required,” Amb. Plambeck said.
“Investors (domestic and from abroad) will no doubt come once conducive framework requirements have been met,” he said; adding: “the overall responsibility for the improvements to the investment climate and current channeling of investments rest with the Iberian government.”
He maintained that with this FAO project supported by Germany will be able to make a valuable contribution showing the right path towards achieving this end.
Also speaking, Deputy Agriculture Minister, Robert Fagans reaffirmed government’s commitment to improving the agricultural sector, in order to make the country self sufficient in food production
The program was graced by stakeholders from the agricultural, investment and civil society sectors as well as representatives of concession companies from all over the country
The program held under the theme: “Enhancing the Enabling Environment for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems’” was organized by the Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with the Food and Agricultural organization and the German Embassy in Monrovia.