BUJUMBURA July 1st (ABP) – The director of staff of the Prime Minister, Mr. Déo Bède Mpfubusa, presented, on the occasion of the official launch of the national consultations on food systems as part of the preparation of Burundi for the participation at the World Summit on Food Systems to be held in New York in September 2021, the state of play and the challenges that haunt that sector in Burundi.
In his speech, the chief of staff of the Prime Minister indicated that certain achievements have been made in the agribusiness sector including the improvement of food systems, the intensification of farming production, 10 million Burundi francs granted to each census village to support local initiatives, the distribution of selected seeds to improve production, the participation of the country’s authorities in agribusiness activities, to name but a few.
In spite of this, Mr. Mpfubusa pointed out that in Burundi, the problem of food systems is both complex and urgent to resolve, starting from insufficient food to food-induced diseases through the waste of more than one third of all food the country produces and various supply chain issues. He also revealed other challenges that haunt this sector, such as demographic pressure and phenomena linked to climate change. He pleaded for the commitment of all stakeholders to stimulate action at the national, sub-regional and international levels, taking into account practical means adapted to the contexts.
The Resident Coordinator of the United Nations system in Burundi, Mr. Richmond Tiemoko, has indicated that the Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr. Antonio Guterres, will convene in September 2021 in New York a summit on food systems marking the launch of bold new steps to advance towards each of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, all of which depend in one way or another and to varying degrees on healthier, more sustainable and equitable food systems.