Historic partnership forged against hunger
Mankind has no right to leave 733-million people to the scourge of hunger. In a world that annually produces almost 6-billion tonnes of food, this is inadmissible. In a world where military spending reached $2.4-trillion last year, this is unacceptable.
Hunger and poverty do not result from shortages or natural phenomena; often they are outcomes of political decisions that perpetuate the exclusion of a major portion of humanity.
It is based on this understanding that, this week, Brazil received representatives of 42 African countries and nine international organisations for the second Brazil-Africa Dialogue on Food Security, Combating Hunger and Rural Development. This meeting was part of Africa Week in Brazil, preceding the state visit of Angolan President João Lourenço on May 23.
Brazil wants to be a partner on the path towards sovereign insertion of the AU, which entails an agricultural development strategy that aims to achieve a 45% increase in food production on the continent by 2035
Brazil wants to be a partner on the path towards sovereign insertion of the AU, which entails an agricultural development strategy that aims to achieve a 45% increase in food production on the continent by 2035. Brazil has much to contribute in this regard.
We have become a farming and food-production powerhouse, thanks to science, technology and decisive state-sponsored actions that have promoted agriculture. It is based on this experience that we wish to exchange knowledge, share and make partnerships.
During their visit to Brazil, African representatives, among them many ministers of agriculture, got the opportunity to learn about successful Brazilian experiences. They learnt about the work of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) and co-operatives that supply initiatives such as the School Meals Programme, which reaches 40-million children. They saw how semi-arid areas of Brazil have been transformed into food-export hubs, through adaptation of water-scarcity technologies, adopting solutions that could be useful in certain regions of Africa.
The dialogue that took place this week is part of a broader agenda. Last November, during the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, we launched the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty. In the six months since then, the alliance has gained more than 180 members, including 95 countries.
Benin, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Zambia were selected for accelerated implementation of Global-Alliance projects. These programmes will focus on areas such as family farming, school meals, access to water, income transfers and sustainable livestock. During this week we discussed ways to expand engagement of African countries through this initiative.
I am convinced that cultural, economic and political affinities between Brazil and African nations are essential elements for building the more egalitarian world we all seek. Africa, after all, has always been a presence in the formation of Brazil. I have often said that Africa is part of Brazil and that Brazil is part of Africa. More than half of the 212-million Brazilians acknowledge African ancestry. We share the Portuguese language with six African countries. Africa's contribution to the ethnic and cultural diversity of Brazil is immeasurable. We owe our very way of being to Africa.
My relationship with Africa runs deep. In Addis Ababa, last year, I completed my 21st visit to the continent. With each journey, my admiration for Africa and its peoples is reinforced.
The dialogue that took place between Brazil and Africa is a landmark in the historical and strategic relationship that unites our peoples. Strengthening relations with the countries of Africa is a priority of my administration, reflecting historic ties, shared values, convergent interests and a commitment to co-operation based on solidarity, mutual respect, and the promotion of social inclusion and sustainable development.
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