The Deputy Minister of Food and Agricul­ture, John Dumelo has called for stronger partnerships, innovation, and urgent action to transform Africa's agrifood systems to achieve food security and economic growth across the continent."We must move beyond busi­ness as usual.

Partnerships are no longer optional; they are the only path forward if we are to build resilient, inclusive, and prosperous agrifood systems for Africa," he said.He made the statement on Monday at the opening of a three-day 14th Regional Management Team Meeting (RMT14) of the Food and Agriculture Organiza­tion (FAO) of the United Nations, in Accra.Held on the theme "Partner­ship, Innovation, Action, Learn­ing", this year's meeting coincided with the 80th anniversary of the FAO, a milestone that reflects decades of shared efforts towards a food-secure future for the continent.Mr Dumelo praised FAO's longstanding commitment to Africa's agricultural transforma­tion and urged participants to use the platform to drive innovations, strengthen partnerships, and deliver tangible results.He acknowledged that Africa remains off track in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 2 - Zero Hunger - by 2030, citing conflict, climate change, pandemics, and economic shocks as persistent obstacles.He, however, pointed to oppor­tunities for accelerated growth, in­cluding the AU's Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) 2026-2035 Strategy, the projected USD 1 tril­lion African food market by 2030, and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).Outlining Ghana's commitment, he said the Government's Agricul­ture for Economic Transforma­tion Agenda (AETA) aims to shift agriculture from subsistence to a market-driven, technology-en­abled, private-sector-led economy.He highlighted the Feed Ghana Programme as a flagship initiative designed to boost food produc­tion, improve farming practices, and develop agro-industrial zones to enhance food security, control inflation, and expand exports.In his remarks, the Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Africa, Abebe Haile-Gabriel, said the FAO's 80th anniversary was being marked through "365 days of action" worldwide rather than a single day of celebration.He emphasised that while FAO commemorates eight decades of existence, the real celebration lies in achieving tangible outcomes on the ground. "We celebrate while we are busy, we are doing, we are working," he said.Mr Haile-Gabriel pointed out that food insecurity remained a critical issue on the continent, with one in five Africans currently experiencing hunger.

He attribut­ed the crisis to climate extremes, persistent conflicts, economic volatility, and weak agricultural systems.He called on African countries to prioritise resilient food pro­duction, invest in rural transfor­mation, and promote sustainable agricultural practices, stressing the need for local food production to reduce heavy dependence on imports.Highlighting Ghana's leader­ship, commended the country's collaboration with FAO, partic­ularly in boosting production, enhancing productivity, and working towards self-sufficiency and export growth.The FAO Deputy Direc­tor-General, Maurizio Martina on his part, called for enhanced coun­try-level collaboration to fast-track the implementation of FAO's Medium-Term Plan 2026-2029.He urged delegates to embrace on innovation, invest in data-driv­en decision-making, and strength­en monitoring and evaluation systems to ensure sustainable progress.The three-day meeting was expected to deliberate on strat­egies for improving operational efficiency, enhancing partnerships, and advancing the implementation of FAO's strategic framework BY STEPHANIE BIRIKORANG