Africa Day - (25 May 2022)

Every year, Africa Day celebrates the dynamism of the African continent on the anniversary of the founding of the Organization of African Unity, now known as the African Union. Given that this year’s theme is nutrition, France recalls the commitment that we share with our African partners to strengthening food system resiliency and sustainability as well as food sovereignty on the continent.

France has multiple efforts underway to strengthen the economic and environmental sustainability of local agricultural sectors through food aid programs. The French Development Agency (AFD) funds several cooperation projects and works with the World Food Programme to support school cafeterias, for example, by supplying them with locally produced and processed food products. France invests in the modernization of farms and sectors, in particular via the “Choose Africa” initiative, in keeping with the African Union’s Agenda 2063. Our country supports training and research as well as agricultural higher education and vocational training programs in Africa. France also provides ECOWAS with grain storage capability assistance.

These concrete actions are an integral part of the renewed partnership between the two continents, which was at the heart of the February 2022 European Union-African Union summit.

While Russia’s war against Ukraine threatens world food security, France, within the framework of its presidency of the Council of the European Union, has put forth the European FARM initiative. The African Union has expressed interest in this initiative. FARM aims to combat market imbalances, ensure solidarity with the most heavily impacted countries and support local production. This initiative will make it possible to boost food production in a way that is both sustainable and resilient, in keeping with the Great Green Wall initiative led by the African Union as well as the vegetable protein initiative.