Irene !hoaes
22 May 2008
Windhoek — African Finance ministers tasked the management of the African Development Bank (AfDB) with the development of a paper exploring options to address the current food shortages in Africa that is also a global crisis, at their meeting in Maputo, Mozambique, last week.
minister of Finance Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, who attended the meeting says no exact measures were yet agreed upon until the AfDB finalises its task.
Kuugongelwa-Amadhila says the role of the AfDB is to provide finance for whatever project these African countries want to embark upon in order to address the current food crisis.
"The aim is to support agricultural production in order to address the current food crisis facing the continent as well as the world," Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said.
About 1500 delegates, including ministers and central bank officials from 53 African countries and 24 non-African members, met in Maputo last week for the annual meeting of the African Development Bank, where the issue of surging food prices was discussed.
The official programme of the meeting focussed around poverty, urbanisation and equality.
Food costs have sparked riots and protests across the world.
The poor, who spend the bulk of their income on food, are the hardest hit.
Almost half of Africa's 900 million people are living in poverty.
The meeting is the most important gathering of finance and development experts in Africa. Each year, the event brings together about 1 500 participants, including finance ministers and central bank governors from 77 Bank Group member countries, as well as key private sector players, development partners and civil society representatives.
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