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October 25, 2017
SDG Fund’s Food Africa Project launches training program thanks to key stakeholders
The Roca master chefs participated in training initiative with more than 50 farmers in Nigeria’s Kaduna State as part of the project “Food Africa” that aims to improve food security, promote sustainable agriculture and improve farmers’ livelihoods.
The three award-winning chefs – brothers from Spain who serve as United Nations Development Programme Goodwill Ambassadors with the SDG Fund – are conducting training on topics such as preservation techniques for tomatoes in order to reduce crop loss. The SDG Fund program aims to create agricultural jobs, boost the local economy, reduce food waste and improve nutrition, while also promoting gender equality.
Josep Roca, UN Agencies and private sector participated as part of this project in a meeting at the Embassy of Spain in Abuja, hosted by Spanish Ambassador to Nigeria. The SDG Fund project is possible thanks to the contribution of Spain to the Fund.
These issues are of critical importance in Nigeria, where agriculture accounts for about two-thirds of the country’s labor force and contributes to 40 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), according to Edward Kallon, the UN resident coordinator in the country.
“Nigeria is currently facing a food insufficiency challenge due to various factors, including reliance on rain-fed agriculture, global economic downturn, increase in food prices, climate change, and insecurity and conflicts,” Kallon said during a press conference in Abuja announcing the training.
The three-year, $9 million project plans to include 4,000 farmers, with the goal of expanding it to other parts of the Nigeria and Africa.
The SDG Fund program, called Food Africa, is being implemented by the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), the International Labour Organisation (ILO), International Trade Centre (ITC), Kaduna state government and the Sahara Foundation. Like all of SDG Fund’s programs, it relies on public-private partnerships and works towards several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including those on poverty, hunger, inclusive and sustainable growth, and sustainable consumption and production.
Additional reporting providecd by Leadership Nigeria and The Nation.
