Browsing: Seventh Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD7)

There are fears that Kenya will soon be facing challenges of food insecurity yet again despite the lack of a coherent plan on addressing this annual occurrence.

Coming at a time when food imports from neighbouring countries are continually increasing, the shilling is weakening making it even worse for millions facing starvation.

This food deficit is not unique to Kenya but it also characterises many African countries stuck in a cycle of inadequate food.

Maputo Declaration on financing agriculture

Ironically, many countries in Africa have vast arable land and a favourable weather. This means that it is easy to sustain agricultural activities. But, there is no political will to make this a reality.

Africa has the potential to feed not only itself but also the world but investments towards agriculture have been limited. Governments have failed to meet the Maputo Declaration on financing agriculture.

In the 2003 declaration, African governments …

African nations that have been slow to develop disposal facilities while mountains of trash pile up at sites will begin receiving support from the Japanese government in the form of waste disposal management and human resources cultivation.

A nation with a high level of garbage disposal expertise, Japan is expected to declare its support for countries at the Seventh Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD7) taking place in Yokohama from Aug. 28. Japan will also show what waste management initiatives African nations will be able to take in the short term while keeping down costs.

In some African nations, waste produced by households and other places is not separated, and trash is often piled up at disposal sites with no planning or structure. Management of the sites is not thorough, and many impoverished people residing nearby make a living as “waste-pickers” who collect scrap metal and other items from …