Noting Africa's particular vulnerability to sustained high food prices, the statement calls for both long-term strategies and short-term measures to address protect African countries from external shocks.
10 February 2011: The African Union Commission (AUC) has released a statement on the implications of rising global food prices for Africa’s development. The Commission stresses that Africa, being a net food importer and one of the largest destinations of international food aid, is particularly vulnerable to sustained high food prices, as well as to export bans in food-producing countries and other measures.
The statement calls for both long-term strategies and short-term measures to address vulnerability to external shocks, based on linking the availability dimension of food security with self-reliance and self-sufficiency in food production, through enhanced productivity. As long-term strategy, the statement emphasizes: the implementation of the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP), aimed at aligning investment with growth and food security; and facilitated intra-African trade in food commodities. As short-term response action, the statement emphasizes: establishing and strengthening grain reserves; rapid sourcing of food aid from home-grown rather than international suppliers; and strategies for managing risks, such as a pan-African disaster risk pooling facility. According to the statement, Africa’s vulnerability will be compounded further by climate change.
The statement concludes with an appeal to all players of the AU including Regional Economic Communities and member States to stay vigilant and position themselves to address the issues at hand strategically. The statement was signed by AUC Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture Rhoda Peace Tumusiime. [The Statement]