György Hölvényi, an MEP of Hungary’s co-ruling Christian Democrats, on Tuesday urged the European Union to take specific steps to support African local farmers, warning that the food crisis on the continent posed a threat to Europe’s security. Effective EU action in the introduction of modern agricultural technologies, boosting agricultural production and facilitating market access for farmers are important to stopping migration, Hölvényi told MTI after a meeting of the European Parliament’s development committee. The war between Russia and Ukraine, unpredictable climate conditions, conflicts, rising energy prices and the coronavirus have triggered a food crisis in Africa, the MEP noted.
Hölvényi said he has turned to the European Commission and the United Nations’ World Food Programme, asking them how the EU supported innovative agricultural and water management technologies, and what it was doing to boost the productivity and market access of small producers. More than half of Africa’s population makes a living from agriculture, Hölvényi said. But small family-owned farms have no access either to the market or financial services and barely receive any assistance to cope with extreme weather, he said. These producers, he added, were key to tackling the food crisis and thereby curbing migration.