By Haddy Touray
The deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture Dr. Saikou Sanyang has spoken highly of the negative effect of Climate Change on our food security while describing it as “a significant threat to our human development.”
He made this remark while addressing twenty Agro-forestry technicians during the opening of a four- day training of trainers in Agro- best practices organized by National Seed Secretariat NSS and NARI held at NSS conference hall in Abuko from the 28th to 31st May 2024.
The project is an EU funded project to be implemented in four West African countries namely the Gambia, Senegal, Cape Verde and Ghana with 14 partners from Africa and Europe.
“The project dubbed “CIRAW project” piloted in the North Bank Region and Central River Region North as the most resilient to climate Change rain fed regions in the Gambia.
According to Dr. Saikou E. Sanyang, climate change poses a significant threat to food security in the region particularly to small countries like The Gambia, which must rely on their agricultural sectors to maintain adequate food production. In the Gambia, for example saltwater intrusion has compromised many rice growing areas [swamps] which are affecting crop yields severely.
He cited that adopting agroforestry practices that contribute to resilient and food security, the Gambia is the way forward and urged participants to take full advantage of the opportunities provided. He said the global vision and plan of action for forests and people are enshrined in the United Nations strategic plan for forests 2030.
DPS Sanyang further stated that this is fully aligned with the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development through its global forest goals and associated targets. To realize this vision, DPS Sanyang recommended aggressive action to tackle the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation, strike a balance between economic growth, social progress and environmental sustainability, and improve governance to deliver a greener future.
He further stated that in order to achieve that there is a need to ensure that sustainable forest management strategies are integrated into green recovery and economic stimulus packages. These should build on the inter-linkages between forestry and other sectors – especially health, agriculture, employment and the environment – in order to attract investment in sustainable forest management.
“We need to support the capacity of countries to mobilize resources and unlock private finance for forests. This can be done through mechanisms such as green bonds, guarantees, and encouraging zero-deforestation commitments,” he recommended.
DPS Sanyang also called for the implementation of the United Nation Strategic plan for forests 2030 which needs collaboration to reverse forest loss, increase the world’s forest area by three percent, and eradicate extreme poverty for forest-dependent people.
The strategic plan, he went on, provides a framework for maximizing forest contributions to the SDGs, the post-2020 global biodiversity framework, and the Paris Agreement on climate change.
For his part, Mr. Morro Manga, Director General National Seed Secretariat (NSS) encouraged participants to take this four days training seriously as climate change has become a major challenge and threat to our food security. He said therefore this training on agroforestry techniques for field technicians is very timely and a worthy course.
According to DG Manga the CIRAWA Project is aimed at unlocking the agro ecological practices in West Africa by building up existing indigenous and scientific knowledge to improve on food and nutrition security