2021-04-30 13:05:36 GMT2021-04-30 21:05:36(Beijing Time) Xinhua English
GABORONE, April 30 (Xinhua) President Mokgweetsi Masisi of Botswana on Thursday said it has become imperative for the southern African country to adopt disruptive Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies with a view to improve the country s food security.
In a statement he deliberated on the occasion of the high level virtual dialogue on feeding Africa: Leadership to scale up successful innovations, Masisi said adoption of 4IR will help Botswana to transition from conventional to smart farming and to move from subsistence to commercial agriculture.
Botswana is a semi-arid nation susceptible to drought which is characterized by low and variable rainfalls, very hot temperatures, as well as outbreaks of pests.
Let me express my profound gratitude for the invitation to participate in this Dialogue which has brought us together to discuss issues of food security in our continent – Africa. Global warming and harsh climatic conditions in many of our countries have more than ever, made it essential for us to find innovative solutions for farming and production of food for our populations. The Sustainable Development Goals 1 and 2 on ‘Poverty 2 Eradication’ and ‘Zero Hunger’ respectively, require us to provide innovative solutions that will eliminate hunger and poverty in our continent. The African Union has set its own target to eliminate hunger and food insecurity by 2025. However, achieving this target is in the distant horizon.