President Samia Suluhu Hassan has called upon African nations to expedite their transition to sustainable agriculture to meet the challenge of feeding the continent's rapidly growing population.
Speaking at the Food Security and Climate Change Cooperation Meeting at Oslo during her two day State Visit to Norway, President Samia emphasised the urgency of adopting smarter and more efficient agricultural practices to address the continent's food security concerns.
Dr Samia highlighted Africa's formidable task of feeding a chronically undernourished, fast-growing, and increasingly urban population.
She stressed the need for collaborative efforts, innovation, and the implementation of strategies that prioritise meeting the needs of the current generation without compromising the needs of future generations.
"It is imperative that we collaborate, innovate, and implement strategies that help us meet the needs of the current generation without putting at risk the needs of future generations," President Samia remarked.
Moreover, President Samia underscored the importance of not only increasing food production but also creating employment opportunities and generating incomes for both rural and urban populations through sustainable and equitable production systems and value chains.
In line with Tanzania's commitment to combating climate change and enhancing food security, President Samia reaffirmed her dedication to working with the international community to address these pressing issues both locally and globally.
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Tanzania has set ambitious targets, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30-35 per cent economy-wide by 2030. During her visit, President Samia witnessed the signing of agreements aimed at enhancing bilateral cooperation between Norway and Tanzania in the areas of food security and agriculture.
These agreements include partnerships between institutions such as the Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) and the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, as well as between the Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI) and the Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research.
President Samia also called upon the international community to collaborate in mitigating the effects of climate change, which exacerbate food shortages, particularly in African countries.
Despite the challenges posed by climate change, President Samia highlighted Tanzania's resilience, noting that the country had not faced food shortages during the 2022/2023 period and had even managed to export five million tonnes of food to neighbouring countries to alleviate their food security concerns.
