Feb. 21 – How do you revive relations between Italy and sub-Saharan Africa? By promoting initiatives aimed at the development of the agro-food sector, the safeguarding of local production and the creation of synergies to generate economies of scale. This is the objective of the “Italy – Africa” initiative, presented yesterday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs during the session devoted to agriculture. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emma Bonino, launched the project last December to promote and coordinate Italian activities in the continent. Over the course of the session, more than 30 Ministers of Agriculture from sub -Saharan Africa, arrived in Rome for the ” Governing Council” by IFAD, shared their opinion on specific areas that need intervention. “The aim is to turn the light back on the African continent and build new partnerships for development” said the Deputy Foreign Minister, Lapo Pistelli. The African continent is rich in resources, as the Ministers of Agriculture in Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Angola, Senegal and Uganda stressed, also highlighting the great development possibilities of their economies. “Seven of the ten fastest growing economies – says Pistelli – are African.” In this scenario, there are beautiful stories of successful cooperation, with Italian companies building partnerships in the African territory. The session at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs marked a new stage in the cooperation process, a project that involves institutions, companies, NGOs and research organizations, led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and its missions in Africa. The Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Mario Giro describes Africa as “an indispensable partner for Italy. The Italy-Africa Initiative is a further step in this partnership at all levels: from the central government to the local authorities, NGOs, businesses and universities.” The Director -General of the FAO, Graziano da Silva, stressed the importance of the collaboration between Italy and the FAO, drawing particular attention to agriculture and food security, ” two central themes to the development of the African continent.” The Secretary for Agriculture, Maurizio Martina, stressed the importance of “strengthening our relations with Africa, perfecting our collaboration also in light of Italy’s experience in agriculture.” In this context, the initiative is a starting point to promote, strengthen and broaden cooperation between Italy and Africa.
