Rehabilitation vital to food security - FAO

The rehabilitation of rural infrastructure in Angola is key to kick-starting agricultural development, the UN Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) said on Wednesday. "The first step to agricultural recovery is a commitment to repairing key roads and bridges. This will give rural people access to inputs, so that they can move forward and start growing food for themselves, and also for sale in the markets," FAO deputy resident representative in Angola, Paolo Vincente, told IRIN. He added: "Today food vulnerability is high, mainly due to the lack of income-generating opportunities and low purchasing power." In June, 1.4 million people received World Food Programme rations. Angola's transport infrastructure was devastated by decades of war and land mines remain a problem, restricting access to populations in need. Vincente said FAO was working with the government on a food security programme that would facilitate the transition from an emergency phase towards long-term development. "The programme's main focus is sustainability. Together with the government, we are reviewing the agricultural sector and identifying medium- and long-term priority areas. We have recognised that, while rural areas may be in need, it is also important to look at urban and peri-urban areas. The success of this will largely depend on the input from different stakeholders, especially civil society," Vincente said. He explained that people returning to their areas of origin lack sufficient food stocks, seeds, tools and livestock, and the programme would prioritise aid to these populations "so that they can begin normal agricultural production." In a recent report on food security in Angola, CARE International noted that even if food becomes available in local markets, most households will not have the buying power to acquire it, and food security will continue to be a serious concern through 2003.