The African Union (AU) has awarded FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva with a special certificate of recognition for his contribution towards the eradication of hunger in Africa and the sustainable development of the continent’s agriculture sectors
Describing the FAO Director-General as “One of the world’s architects of the Zero Hunger concept,” Josefa Sacko, commissioner for rural economy and agriculture at AU, noted that this was “A powerful brand that is now reflected within the global Sustainable Development Goals” and that “The right to adequate food can and must be part of the continent’s reality.”
Sacko highlighted how, back in 2013, the fight against hunger and its underlying causes, especially acute poverty, became a top priority in Graziano da Silva’s home country, Brazil, which has served as an example for many nations. He noted how the Zero Hunger programme in Brazil and its subsequent social policies, such as Bolsa Familia, managed to reduce hunger from 11 per cent of its population (about 19mn people) in the early 2000s to less than 2.5 per cent in the 2010 triennium.
“There is also an additional, serious challenge,” Graziano da Silva warned. “Once known for the scourge of its stunting children, Africa is now known as the continent with more overweight and obese people in the world,” he highlighted.
“As part of these new challenges, we need to consider that there is no Zero Hunger solution for the future generations in Africa without stimulating its youth to stay, work and live in rural areas,” da Silva stressed.
The ceremony took place ahead of the First International Food Safety Conference organized by the African Union (AU), the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organisation (WHO).
