Italy: Algerian Minister Takes Part in the G7 Agricultural Forum
Youcef Cherfa, the Algerian Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, participated on Friday in Syracuse, Italy, alongside ministers from 11 African countries at the G7 Agriculture Ministers Meeting, as part of the second day of the G7 Agricultural Forum, according to a statement from the ministry.
The opening ceremony of the G7 Agriculture Ministers Meeting, which included representatives from Italy, Canada, the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France, was presided over by Italy’s Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty, and Forestry, Francesco Lollobrigida.
On the second day of the forum, which gathered nearly 400 participants, including international and regional organizations, thematic sessions were held. The first session focused on the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), adopted by the African Union (AU) in 2014, with the aim of transforming agriculture across the continent.
During this session, participants addressed the new challenges facing the continent and proposed suitable solutions. The second session was dedicated to agricultural investment in Africa, highlighting key support mechanisms for agricultural development, leveraging existing resources, and enhancing cooperation between G7 members and African nations.
The third session examined “prospects for cooperation between both parties, the exchange of experiences, and investment projects,” with the goal of making international collaboration for agricultural sector development more effective and identifying areas where partnership is crucial to achieving the AU’s Agenda 2030 and the Post-Malabo Declaration.
It is noteworthy that the G7 Agricultural Forum, held on September 26 and 27 in Italy at the initiative of the Italian G7 presidency, aims to strengthen cooperation among the agriculture ministries of G7 nations and their African counterparts.
On the first day of the forum, Cherfa stated in his speech that Algeria has adopted “a participatory and multisectoral approach to enhance food security and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals within the framework of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda and the AU’s 2063 Agenda.”
Cherfa further emphasized that Algeria’s strategy includes strengthening its food security and implementing the National Plan for the Development of Strategic Crops. This plan aims to increase the production and productivity of essential crops such as cereals, legumes, oilseeds, sugar crops, and dairy products while reducing imports and boosting contributions from non-hydrocarbon exports.
