The report on the situation in The Gambia with regard to soaring food prices, was recently reviewed and validated at the Paradise Suites Hotel in Kololi.

In his introductory remarks, Thomas Palmar, the FAO consultant, said the validation of the report, which brought together different stakeholders from the public and private sectors as well as civil society, aimed to review the report on the situation in the country regarding soaring food prices, to discuss these issues and also to agree on the nature and scope of action that could be taken primarily at sub-regional levels. This he said, is with a view to complementing national actions directed at mitigating the negative affects of soaring food prices and ensuring sustainable food security in the ECOWAS sub-region.

He noted that food prices in Africa have increased rapidly due to a multitude of factors including growing demand in fast growing economies, and also increased diversion of grains to bio-fuels and animal feed, escalating production costs - fertilizers and agro-chemicals. He also noted that at the same time, global food reserves are at their lowest level in 25 years due to de-regulation of markets and adversed weather conditions in key exporting countries. The FAO consultant said the dramatic rise of food prices is severely affecting the food security of large populations in many countries, particularly amongst the poorest and most vulnerable.

Palmar observed that the countries of West Africa have been particularly hard hit because many of them, he said are food deficit with relatively high percentages of rural population and high levels of poverty. He said that the governments of these countries have made significant efforts to prepare and implement responses to the emerging crisis, but their relatively weak capacities (human resources and institutions) have tended to limit their ability to achieve lasting and sustainable results through these policy interventions.

Palmar noted that a careful study of the situation has shown that a number of actions would need to be taken at the sub-regional level to complement and strengthen the efforts of the governments at national level, especially in respect of the medium and long term actions necessary to attain increased agricultural productivity, competitiveness and trade. In light of these considerations, he said, FAO initiated support through approved TCP project in each of the 15 ECOWAS countries in support of their effort to address the short and medium term needs of vulnerable populations.