The United States of America (USA) has unveiled a plan to release US$3 billion to fight hunger and malnutrition in Africa.
President Barack Obama, who made the pledge at the opening of the G8 summit Friday, said it was a moral, economic and security imperative to address food security in Africa.
President Obama said investments in African agriculture by private US companies, for a total of more than $3bn, would address "unacceptable" starvation.
"It's a moral imperative, it's an economic imperative and it's a security imperative," Mr Obama said.
"'There is no reason why Africa cannot feed itself."
The summit is being attended by President John Evans Atta Mills alongside Mr Jekaya Kikwete of Tanzania, AU Chairman and Mr Thomas Yayi Boni of Benin and Prime Minister Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia.
Taking his turn to address a symposium on global agriculture and food security at the Ronald Reagan Building International Trade Centre in Washington, DC, President Mills pledged the Ghana Government’s commitment to ensuring food security.
He said the government was liaising with the private sector as well as traditional authorities to make land and other facilities available to end poverty and hunger in Ghana.
Meanwhile, the US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton has lauded President John Evans Atta Mills and the three other African heads of state who are attending the summit for their leadership roles in tackling food insecurity and malnutrition in their countries.
She described them as bold leaders who the Obama administration together with the private sector would want to support to reduce global hunger and poverty.
Mrs Clinton made the commendation at a reception for the four African leaders, representatives of the G8 member countries and the private sector, which has supported the Obama administration to address global food insecurity, hunger and malnutrition.
President Mills, AU Chairman and President of Benin, Thomas Yayi Boni, President Jekaya Kikwete of Tanzania and the immediate past AU Commission Chairman, Dr Jean Ping, among a host of other dignitaries attended the reception, which was held on the premises of the State Department.
President Barack Obama, who made the pledge at the opening of the G8 summit Friday, said it was a moral, economic and security imperative to address food security in Africa.
President Obama said investments in African agriculture by private US companies, for a total of more than $3bn, would address "unacceptable" starvation.
"It's a moral imperative, it's an economic imperative and it's a security imperative," Mr Obama said.
"'There is no reason why Africa cannot feed itself."
The summit is being attended by President John Evans Atta Mills alongside Mr Jekaya Kikwete of Tanzania, AU Chairman and Mr Thomas Yayi Boni of Benin and Prime Minister Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia.
Taking his turn to address a symposium on global agriculture and food security at the Ronald Reagan Building International Trade Centre in Washington, DC, President Mills pledged the Ghana Government’s commitment to ensuring food security.
He said the government was liaising with the private sector as well as traditional authorities to make land and other facilities available to end poverty and hunger in Ghana.
Meanwhile, the US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton has lauded President John Evans Atta Mills and the three other African heads of state who are attending the summit for their leadership roles in tackling food insecurity and malnutrition in their countries.
She described them as bold leaders who the Obama administration together with the private sector would want to support to reduce global hunger and poverty.
Mrs Clinton made the commendation at a reception for the four African leaders, representatives of the G8 member countries and the private sector, which has supported the Obama administration to address global food insecurity, hunger and malnutrition.
President Mills, AU Chairman and President of Benin, Thomas Yayi Boni, President Jekaya Kikwete of Tanzania and the immediate past AU Commission Chairman, Dr Jean Ping, among a host of other dignitaries attended the reception, which was held on the premises of the State Department.
Mrs. Clinton said the bold leadership roles President Mills and his three other colleagues had adopted are worthy of emulation.
“These gentlemen are here because they understand the opportunities that is being presented they have a true partnership, a global partnership around the ending of food insecurity hunger and malnutrition…we want to support and buildup countries who have leaders like those here before you to take their rightful place of leadership regionally and globally”, Mrs Clinton said.
She said statistics showed that about one billion people worldwide suffered from chronic hunger and 75 per cent of poor people who lived in rural areas depended solely on agriculture for their livelihood.
She said it was for that reason that the Obama administration had made agriculture and food security a priority.
“By improving agriculture we can together strike a powerful blow against both hunger and poverty…and that is why food security is a priority of the Obama administration; it is both the smart thing to do and the right thing to do. It is a moral imperative to help people escape hunger and poverty, it is an economic imperative to spread prosperity, create rising incomes, give people the chance to give their own children a better future…it is a strategic imperative,” she said.
“These gentlemen are here because they understand the opportunities that is being presented they have a true partnership, a global partnership around the ending of food insecurity hunger and malnutrition…we want to support and buildup countries who have leaders like those here before you to take their rightful place of leadership regionally and globally”, Mrs Clinton said.
She said statistics showed that about one billion people worldwide suffered from chronic hunger and 75 per cent of poor people who lived in rural areas depended solely on agriculture for their livelihood.
She said it was for that reason that the Obama administration had made agriculture and food security a priority.
“By improving agriculture we can together strike a powerful blow against both hunger and poverty…and that is why food security is a priority of the Obama administration; it is both the smart thing to do and the right thing to do. It is a moral imperative to help people escape hunger and poverty, it is an economic imperative to spread prosperity, create rising incomes, give people the chance to give their own children a better future…it is a strategic imperative,” she said.
PEACEFM
