BY MBONGENI NDLELA
KENYA – Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini has urged African leaders to learn to reject temporary solutions that cause significant and costly problems in the long term.
He said to achieve this, Africa must implement robust standards, pragmatic policies and effective control measures.
The PM has been speaking at the Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Summit of Heads of State and Government of the African Union in Nairobi, Kenya, this morning.
The premier urged African countries to “implement robust standards, pragmatic policies and effective control measures” to guard against the dumping of low-quality products, including fertiliser, from outside of Africa. #AFSH24.
“Research has proven that we can learn many good practices from indigenous people and build upon such for scaling up and sustaining food production systems, ” he said.
He continued: “While pursuing our Green Revolution, we significantly enhanced food production and reduced hunger, but we also brought adverse effects on soil health, human well-being and the environment due to our extensive use of synthetic fertilisers that pollute the soil and our water systems.”
“Looking ahead, it is imperative to embrace sustainable agricultural practices that prioritise soil health, biodiversity and long-term sustainability to secure a healthy and productive food system for future generations, ” he said.
He said by investing in research and the development of mechanised equipment and technologies for organic fertiliser application, we can facilitate the transition to sustainable farming practices.
