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| Most Rev. Zacchaeus Okoth, Archbishop of Kisumu |
African women farmers could increase agricultural yields significantly hence curb food insecurity in the continent if accorded same access to resources such as education and finance as their male counterparts, says Chairman for Catholic Justice and Peace Commission (CJPC)-Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) Most. Rev. Zacchaeus Okoth.
Delivering his key note address during the National Conference on Climate Change and Food Security at Catholic University of East Africa (CUEA) on 18th, September, 2014, Archbishop Okoth confirmed that in Africa women produce 60% to 80% of food, despite owing only 10% to 20% of the farms.
He urged Governments to invest in successful techniques of food production that have worked elsewhere to support its small scale famers who make a major contribution to food security; guarding them against immoral practices like GMOs that only benefit big companies that produce seeds.
“Farmers must also be climate smart” said the Archbishop of Kisumu adding that “This would increase the productivity of land and intensity of farming, while the negative environmental impacts are diminished.”
The Archbishop said that there must be solutions which are drawn from the knowledge of local communities and can be put into practice by small scale farmers by whom majority are women.
The two day conference was attended by more than 500 delegates drawn from civil society, universities, government agencies and faith based organization.