The African Development Bank Group (AfBD) has received praise from US Secretary of State Antony Blinken for the remarkable work it is doing to help feed both Africa and the rest of the globe.
Incredibly hard work is being done to get Africa to the point where it can feed the world and itself. Secretary of State Blinken stated, “I’m convinced that can happen,” on Tuesday in Abidjan while being hosted by Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the AfDB Group. The two got together at AfricaRice’s headquarters, a pan-African center of excellence for rice production, research, and capacity building that carries out agricultural Bank programs.”
President Adesina greeted Secretary Blinken and stated, “A US Secretary of State visiting the African Development Bank and its operations is a first for this administration. The historic visit by Secretary Blinken gives our efforts to feed Africa a huge boost. I am excited to collaborate closely with Secretary Blinken and the US government to further our shared goals of assisting Africa in feeding itself and contributing to global food security. I commend Secretary Blinken for his strong leadership and dedication to food security.”
Dr. Adesina thanked the US for its support of the Bank Group’s important agricultural initiatives, saying, “I congratulate President Biden’s commitment for global food security. I’m thrilled about our collaboration with the US government to advance food security in Africa.”
In addition, Adesina expressed gratitude to Blinken for a fresh $9.5 million award that will help the Bank’s TAAT (Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation) initiative. The grant, which is a component of the broader US Government global hunger campaign “Feed the Future,” will be used for the Bank program’s TAAT II phase, which aims to assist African nations in increasing food production, implementing climate-smart technology, and expanding extension services. In an effort to increase food production and security on the continent, TAAT has so far provided 13 million African farmers across 40 nations with climate-resilient agricultural technologies and fertilizers. The funding from USAID will contribute to TAAT II’s continued outreach.
Bumper harvest: During a visit to AfricaRice’s offices in Abidjan, a local rice farmer (right) displays rice types grown from climate-resilient seeds from the Bank’s TAAT initiative to African Development Bank Group President Akinwumi Adesina.
To find ways to collaborate with the US State Department’s Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils (VACS) initiatives and create an investment plan, the US will collaborate with the African Development Bank.
By providing more than 40 million agricultural producers with access to proven technology, TAAT hopes to quadruple the production of fisheries, livestock, and staple crops by 2025. An additional 120 million tons of food will be produced as a result.
Referring to that piece of work, Blinken stated: “With its AfricaRice program, the African Development Bank is maximizing crops and producing crops that can withstand climate change, as well as making the necessary investments in sustainable production in a clever and efficient manner.”
Secretary Blinken praised Adesina for his leadership on a global scale, saying, “I commend the Bank and your leadership for the programs’ inspiring and potent impact. You are demonstrating to others how a bank should be operated.”
Speaking to the media, Secretary Blinken stated that the Biden administration was certain that funding the development of extremely nutrient-dense and climate-resilient crops has enormous potential.
Secretary Blinken stated that the Biden administration was certain that investing in the cultivation of extremely nutritious and climate-resilient crops, including some of Africa’s underappreciated traditional meals, has enormous promise. These crops include rice.
In an effort to increase rice production, the Bank started the AfricaRice program in 2018. It currently has 28 members from 28 different African countries, with 15 of them anticipating achieving rice self-sufficiency soon.
“Rice yields have increased by 25% and livelihoods by more than 31% since 2018,” stated Dr. Baboucarr Manneh, Director General of AfricaRice, who was also present during the tour.
The United States of America is the greatest cumulative contributor to the African Development Fund, which offers concessional funding to Africa’s poorest nations, and the second-largest shareholder among all African Development Bank member nations. President Adesina emphasized during the tour the long-term benefits of US funding in Bank activities that support common goals in Africa.
