Director-General/Executive Director
Excellencies,
Distinguished guests,
It is a pleasure to join you today for the launch of the Group of Friends of Food Security.
I would like to thank Ambassador Molekane, speaking on behalf of the African Group, as well as the co-chairs of the Group, Ambassador Lepre and Ambassador Mofadal, for leading this critical initiative.
As an African myself, this initiative speaks dearly to me and to one of the most urgent and pressing issues of our time: ending hunger, particularly in Africa.
It is also very timely because tomorrow is World Food Day.
And with 2030 fast approaching, we face a rising tide of hunger.
According to FAO, more than 340 million people faced severe food insecurity across Africa in 2022.
One in five people on the continent are going to bed hungry every day, not knowing when, or if, they will have their next meal.
And the suffocating grip of hunger is being tightened by conflict, climate disasters, and political instability.
In East Africa, Sudan is facing one of the world’s worst food emergencies, with the World Food Programme estimating that more than 25 million people are suffering from acute hunger due to ongoing conflict.
In the Sahel, starvation is being weaponized by non-state armed groups that destroy crops, steal livestock, and loot humanitarian aid, leaving 6.3 million people in dire need.
In West and Central Africa, nearly 55 million people struggle to feed themselves, including 16 million children under the age of 5 who are acutely malnourished, which will affect their future forever.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo alone, over 26 million people face food insecurity, after decades of conflict have ravaged the region.
No corner of the continent is untouched, and the most vulnerable, particularly women and children, are hit the hardest, with fewer avenues to access food, and when people are hungry they are angry and vulnerable and can be easily exploited.
In sub-Saharan Africa, for example, women make up 60% of the agricultural workforce, yet they face systemic barriers to land ownership, finance, and access to markets.
At the same time, Africa is the youngest and fastest-growing continent. By 2030, young Africans are expected to make up 75% of those under the age of 35, and they will all need to be fed, they need jobs and they need hope.
This new generation represents Africa’s future and can drive the continent’s agricultural development.
With Africa holding around 60% of the world’s uncultivated arable land, it has immense potential to feed itself and feed the world.
To unlock this potential, we must ensure that African farmers access land, agricultural inputs, technology, and access to markets in order to make their communities more resilient to economic shocks and environmental changes.
Over the past 25 years, at UNODC, we’ve learned valuable lessons from our alternative development programme, which supports farmers in transitioning from illicit crop production – such as opium poppy, cannabis, and coca cultivation – to viable, licit alternatives.
And the products displayed here are samples of what alternative development offers in different countries.
From Bolivia and Colombia to Myanmar and Afghanistan, so we are not just ready to work, we are working and need your support.
In Afghanistan, where opium cultivation has dropped by 95%, we are helping farmers harvest wheat, maize, saffron, poultry, and vegetables, so that they can put food on the table and generate income without having to revert to illicit opium cultivation.
Since 2022, we have reached nearly 20,000 households, with one-third of them headed by women.
In Colombia, we focus on strengthening value chains for small and medium-sized farmers of vegetables, fruits, dairy and rice.
For example, we’ve partnered with the Colombian government to help over 700 farmers move from cultivating coca to harvesting sacha inchi seeds in the south of the country.
These seeds are a nutritious and high-value supplement that has improved the diets of over 2 million vulnerable children across the country.
We’ve also helped set up almost 200 inclusive businesses, training 600 women in productive, organizational, and commercial capacities, to boost the local economy and reduce gender gaps.
And in Myanmar, where illicit poppy cultivation continues to rise, we have focused on helping farmers in isolated, conflict-affected areas transition to growing coffee and vegetables.
We have supported hundreds of women, who have gone on to form business enterprises, leading to a community-driven movement where they are actively involved in production, making business decisions, and playing a key role in linking to new markets.
Women economic empowerment is key to protect them and reduce gender-based violence.
We are keen to bring these lessons and successes to Africa, starting by exploring the potential for cash crop diversification in the DRC, Nigeria, and Madagascar.
Our focus will be on providing technical assistance, improving access to markets, and ensuring farmers have the resources and land they need to succeed.
And we will work closely with African governments, civil society, and the private sector, to scale up these efforts and contribute to enhancing food security.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Ending hunger is possible.
And while the solutions lie in the hands of the African people themselves – the farmers, women, youth, and communities – it is our responsibility to support them with funding, knowledge transfer, and skills development, and this Group of Friends is an excellent platform to do just that.
I have already started discussing with the heads of VBOs, namely UNIDO and the IAEA, the need to work jointly to improve crops and improve agro-industries.
Let’s work together so that everyone has access to the food they need, leaving no one behind.
As Nelson Mandela once said, “Freedom is meaningless if people cannot put food in their stomachs.”
Thank you.
