Chair of PhosAgro's Sustainable Development Committee Irina Bokova Discusses the Company's Support for Agriculture Safety in Africa

MOSCOW, Nov. 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Irina Bokova, the Chair of the PhosAgro Board of Directors Sustainable Development Committee, spoke about the Company's support for sustainable agriculture in Africa at the online conference hosted in the course of "Africa Industrialisation Week 2020".

The main organisers of the event have traditionally been the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the African Union. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) also supported the forum.

At the session "The Future of Employment for Young Women and Men in Africa: Accelerating Job Creation in Agriculture and Agribusiness in the post COVID-19 crisis setting," experts discussed tools for creating new jobs and reducing poverty among young Africans, enhancing the role of agribusiness in creating jobs and increasing the economic competitiveness of the region, measures to improve the region's resilience to crises such as COVID-19, and much more.

Maria Helena Semedo, Deputy Director General of the FAO, said: "Youth employment is an important political priority for Africa, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic. Success in creating jobs and income opportunities for Africa's youth is critical to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, the Malabo Declaration commitments and the African Union's Agenda 2063."

Josefa Leonal Sacko, African Union Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, said: "As of 2019, almost 60% of Africa's population was under 25, making Africa the youngest continent in the world. Given that agriculture is an important driver of economic development and an area of great opportunity for young people in Africa, development of the agri-food system value chain will improve the sector's image, increase labour productivity and return on investment, and attract more young people to the industry."

"To encourage more people to work in agriculture, it is essential to make this sphere more attractive, more profitable and more stable through investment in human capital," said Ronald Guendel, Global Head of Food Security and Advocacy at Bayer AG. "We need to build partnerships in order to truly transform agriculture. Together we can eradicate poverty, improve working conditions and build a new future for African agriculture and food security around the world."