At Geneva Aid for Trade Global Review Summit: Trade minister advocates food security in Africa, calls for concrete agric plan.

This was at the plenary session on "Enhancing Food Security through Trade". 

Speaking in his capacity as the President of the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference, Minister Mbarga Atangana emphasised the urgent need for a concerted effort to address the critical issue of food security in Africa.

He called for the establishment of clear, transparent, and predictable agricultural market rules to ensure global food security and protect humanity from various threats. 

He also addressed the alarming statistical forecasts, indicating that current agricultural production must be doubled by 2050 to meet global food demands. The minister urged WTO member states to show greater commitment and political will in resolving the pervasive problem of food insecurity, stressing that it is a collective responsibility.

He called for concrete actions to empower developing nations, enabling them to contribute significantly to global food security and economic development. "Invoking multilateralism is futile if developing countries are not equipped with the means to feed the world and participate in international trade," he said. 

Quoting former French President, Jacques Chirac, Minister Mbarga Atangana warned against complacency, urging WTO members not to "let the house burn before our eyes." 

He pressed for urgent measures to safeguard humanity from looming political, social, and environmental perils.

However, the minister expressed hope that the upcoming 14th WTO Ministerial Conference, set to be held in Yaounde, will mark a decisive step towards achieving the WTO’s primary objectives. 

He emphasised that the organisation’s true mission is to promote the development of states through trade, rather than treating trade as an end in itself. 

This story was first published in The Guardian Post issue N0:3155 of Monday July 01, 2024