AfDB approves $1 billion to African smallholder farmers to end Africa's food reliance

About 20 million smallholder farmers on the African continent have been targeted as direct beneficiaries of the African Development Bank, known as the AfDB, which approved $1 billion in an emergency food production plan.

The funds approval is intended to end reliance on food imports from Russia and Ukraine, a statement on Tuesday said.

It follows the United Nations figures, which revealed that more than 44 percent of wheat consumed in countries on the African continent comes from Russia and Ukraine, while over 18 million people are facing severe hunger in the Sahel, as farmers there are facing their worst agricultural production in more than a decade, the UN has said.

Basic commodities have since soared as many African nations depended on Russia and Ukraine for wheat, oil, soybeans and fertilizers. The funds will focus on staple crops African countries largely import from Russia and Ukraine, the AfDB noted.

The Bank's vice-president for agriculture, human and social development Dr. Beth Dunford said: "This is a landmark week for the African Development Bank and the African Emergency Food Production Facility. These programs will deliver much-needed climate-adapted seeds, access to affordable fertilizers and usher in policy reforms to enable the agriculture sector to supply immediate, medium and long-term solutions to challenges faced in regional member countries."

According to the AfDB, Africa is facing a deficit of at least 30 million metric tons of food, due to the Russia-Ukraine crisis, and with the $1 billion being approved, it is expected that over 38 million tons of food, which will exceed the amount imported from Russia and Ukraine, will be produced by African farmers.

It said that the African emergency food production plan will enable African farmers to produce 38 million additional tons of food over the next two years, and will provide 20 million African smallholder farmers with certified seeds and increased access to agricultural fertilizers.

It is also intended to support governance and policy reform, in order to encourage greater investment in Africa's agricultural sector.