GCA CEO’s Remarks at the Opening Ceremony of the Dakar 2 Summit: Feed Africa
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limate change is stealing the food off Africa’s table. Globally, the climate emergency is making every new crisis much worse – but here in this continent, its impact is far greater.
The war in Ukraine, the debt crisis, inflation, and a looming global recession: In all these crises, climate change is the magnifying glass – and when the sun shines, we all know what happens under the magnifying glass.
We have to stop the greenhouse gas emission trajectory that has set us, on the road, as António Guterres called it, to climate hell. Because if the world ends up with 3 degrees warming…
then this climate Hell will look a lot like biblical Hell.
Think about it: A third of Africa’s land for growing maize will burn up. And by 2050, you can double that terrifying outcome for beans. But even if the world does stay within the Paris Agreement goal of 1.5 degrees warming, Africa will need massive adaptation to survive and thrive.
The good news, as you President Macky Sall remind us, is that the road we take and the destination at which we arrive is not set in stone.
Excellencies, I think if you are here today in the vibrant city of Dakar, it is because you know Africa’s road to food sovereignty is unstoppable. But Africa is at a crossroads – with one highway leading to loss and damages, hunger, and poverty. But the other road – the better road – leads through climate adaptation, lifting up African farmers, delivering food security and prosperity.
So we have a choice to make. Early forecasts tell us that El Niño will be back with a vengeance this year. Here, it will bring droughts to the South and extreme rainfall in the East. And let’s not forget, in 2016, El Niño plunged nearly 30 million people into a food crisis. This year’s El Niño is forecast to be much worse.
So it is vital that Africa’s farmers adapt to the climate shocks of today and the more intense disasters of tomorrow.
But I have good news for you. Investing in adaptation in food security is good economics. It is inaction that is expensive. Our work in GCA shows that if we continue on the current path, the costs of inaction in Africa’s agriculture will be off the scale. More than $200 billion a year.
And the costs of action? Only $15 billion a year.
Adaptation is good business. Resilience pays.
Excellencies, last month, I had the honor of meeting with Kenya’s First Lady Rachel Ruto. So, President Ruto, Mama Ruto told me that all Africans have three mothers – there is Mother Earth, Mother Nation,
and our biological mother. Their wisdom guides us across uncharted territory.
My big brother and very close friend President Adesina lost his beloved mother recently and we all share in his grief. As we say in Dutch, zo Moeder zo zoon – like mother, like son. It is so evident from your work, Akin, that Mama Eunice was an exceptional woman. So in her spirit, and in the spirit of Africa’s three mothers, let me share three messages towards food sovereignty and resilience.
First, adaptation finance for agriculture needs a massive increase. Globally, climate finance for agriculture was $20 billion per year in 2018. This was only 3 percent of total global climate finance. Out of that, smallholder farmers – the lifeblood of Africa – received even less: only half. It’s not enough, but we have good news here too.
The multilateral development banks are scaling up. Climate finance for the agriculture sector quadrupled between 2015 and 2018 to $2 billion. We count on all of them to follow President Adesina’s leadership at the AfDB to increase the share of adaptation finance.
My second message: Africa already knows its adaptation solutions: irrigation, drought-resistant seeds, crops, and livestock diversification. But countries need support to implement them at scale. New technologies will transform African agriculture. Just as Africa pioneered mobile money, digital climate technology will be the key to resilient farming.
And finally my third message: Investing in resilient food systems is investing in 21st century jobs. Africa’s youth needs more and better jobs in the agribusiness of the future. Let’s unleash the brainpower and boundless energy of Africa’s talented young entrepreneurs. I have no doubt that the next Bill Gates will be African.
Excellencies, Africa has a program for adaptation. We thank President Macky Sall for that. And this program – your program – is already delivering at scale. It is the AAAP, the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program. Co-led by President Adesina of the AfDB and the Global Center on Adaptation, and with the extraordinary support of African Union Commission Chair Moussa Faki, Minister Anne Tvinnereim of Norway, Minister Andrew Mitchell of the UK, and France, the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, the Gates Foundation and many others, the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program has brought the best science and practice of adaptation to $5.2 billion of investments during its first 24 months that will strengthen the resilience of almost 20 million people generating 1.5 million jobs.
So far, GCA has supported the African Development Bank and the World Bank through digital climate solutions to deliver with $2.1billion in agriculture projects. These are results at speed and at scale. And by doing so, and through our strong partnership with IFAD, AFD, and others, the AAAP is supporting the delivery of the Feed Africa Strategy. And excellencies, the AAAP is custom-built to support the Food and Agriculture Delivery Compacts.
So President Macky Sall, your presence today at this summit gives all of us hope. Africa is taking the right road, as you and your fellow leaders here this week are charting a path towards food sovereignty and resilience.
Remember this: Food sovereignty and resilience is unstoppable.
Even with the climate crisis: Africa’s rise is unstoppable.
I thank you.
