ADDIS ABABA, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- African Union (AU) Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment Moses Vilakati called for coordinated continental efforts to address the pressing food security challenges in Africa during the AU's biennial ministerial meeting.

The meeting was held on Friday as part of the 6th Ordinary Session of the Specialized Technical Committee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment at the AU headquarters in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.

The high-level ministerial gathering brought together ministers and experts from across the continent responsible for agriculture, livestock, fisheries, rural development, water and sanitation, environment, and climate change.

Addressing the meeting, Vilakati said that increasing and recurring natural disasters are affecting hundreds of millions of people across the continent and causing economic losses amounting to billions of U.S. dollars.

"Agricultural productivity in Africa still remains below average, largely due to limited use of productivity-enhancing inputs such as fertilizers, irrigation, and quality seeds, as well as unsustainable agricultural practices," Vilakati said.

The AU commissioner stressed that addressing these challenges systematically is "very essential to unlocking the transformative potential of Africa's agri-food systems."

While acknowledging Africa's commendable progress in enhancing the agri-food sector, he said that the task ahead remains significant. According to Vilakati, in order to address these issues, the AU has launched a continental plan aimed at accelerating efforts toward food security.

He said the plan focuses on key areas including soil health, fertilizer optimization, seed systems development, and job creation for youth. Experts and policymakers at the meeting said that despite the continent's rich natural resources, millions of Africans remain food insecure, with Africa spending billions of U.S. dollars annually on food imports. ■