Human Rights activists yesterday warned that Africa is sinking into a food insecurity crisis because women, the main agricultural producers, are denied access and control of land.

The Participants from Eastern and Southern African countries attending a women's conference on land ownership in Kampala expressed fear that the continued denial of land ownership and control to women would plunge the disadvantaged continent into a food crisis.

Prof Okoth Ogendo from Nairobi University, , said for the last four decades, Africa has been embroiled in an agrarian crisis. He said the crises of agricultural productivity and social relations defined by land have led to severe food insecurity.

Ogendo said the continent, which is supposed to be rich in agricultural production, is now the major importer of grains which should be grown locally.

"The issue of food insecurity is unlikely to end until the land issue is addressed," Ogendo warned.

Uganda's Prime Minister, Prof. Apollo Nsibambi called on the women to question and challenge the die-hard patriarchal socio-political and economic structures which promote inequalities in land ownership.

Nsibambi said the land ownership issue in Uganda is to be included in the Domestic Relations Bill due to be tabled before Parliament soon.

"Women should also be in position to question and challenge existent die-hard patriarchal social-political and economic structures that promote inequalities in land ownership," Nsibambi said in a speech read by the Minister of State for Internal Affairs, Sarah Kiyingi.

"We are yet to decide that the issue of co-ownership should be part of the Domestic Relations Law," he said.

He said land co-ownership was a sensitive issue and that facts are needed to sensitise people about the need for women to have increased access to land.

Research papers conducted in different countries were presented at the conference.