Faced with a demand for animal products which should triple by 2050, the Senegalese Minister of the Environment offers a vision where development of farming and environmental protection are mutually strengthened.
In a striking platform, Professor Daouda Ngom, Minister of the Environment and the Ecological Transition of Senegal, pleaded for a balanced approach which reconciles farming and environmental preservation in Africa.
Entitled ” Sabots against habitats: finding a lasting balance between breeding and the environment is crucial for the future of Africa ”the Minister calls for more investments and collaborations to develop innovative solutions.
« In Senegal, almost 70% of our land is used for grazing cattle. Here and through Africa, pastors and breeders maintain breeding systems that are closely linked to our landscapes and crucial for national food security, economic growth and ecological balance He says.
The Minister refutes the idea that breeding is incompatible with a healthy environment. He cites several concrete examples of sustainable practices, notably in Senegal where ” Pastors move their animals strategically to imitate natural grazing patterns, taking into account precipitation to avoid overgrazing. »
-The Prof. Ngom highlights the African paradox: although the continent is home to more than 85 % of pastors and breeders in the world, sub -Saharan Africa produces only 2.8 % of world meat and milk, while demand should increase by 300 % by 2050.
To meet this challenge, the Minister proposes two axes of action: to strengthen collaboration between political decision -makers, researchers, farmers and businesses, and significantly increase investments in the livestock sector, which currently receives only 0.25 % of public development aid.
« The next Spring Spring Meetings of the World Bank – where the financing of development initiatives will be determined – represent a timely opportunity to launch this paradigm shift “, He notes, also calling on African countries to integrate farming into their national plans of economic development and climate action.
The Minister concludes on a note of optimism. To believe it, ” The solutions are at hand. What is necessary now is the desire to act decisively and to release the unparalleled potential of the natural resources of the continent to build a future where prosperity and sustainability go hand in hand. »
ARD/AC/SF/APA
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