As G7 president this year, Italy "wants to seize the opportunity to strengthen food security in Africa," foreign minister Antonio Tajani told over two dozen African leaders gathered for a summit in Rome.
The two-day Italy-Africa conference underscores the government's "all-round" efforts towards "a true food diplomacy" aimed at stability and "mutual growth" to which "our agri-food supply chain is actively contributing", Tajani said in an address.
"But the government and I want to do more. We are about to launch new infrastructure and agri-food sector projects," Tajani went on.
Italy is ready to support an African Union action plan for building sustainable food systems, "also within the G7 context", he said.
Italy has rolled out "food security projects with our African partners for over 300 million euros", Tajani stated.
"We want to respond together to the double challenge of climate change and food insecurity and to that end we have set up the Italian Climate Fund,"said Tajani.
The Italian Climate Fund is endowed with 840 million euros per year for four years and at least 70% of these resources will be spent on investment initiatives in Africa, Tajani explained.
The Fund "is an innovative tool that complements other actions aimed at encouraging an active and positive role for the private sector," he said.
"Environmental sustainability cannot exist with economic and social sustainability," Tajani underlined.
Italy is working for adaptation to climate change and the sustainable transformation of food systems, Tajani said.
"These are our commitments, these are our objectives, which we want to achieve together, for the common good," he unerlined.
At the two-day Africa summit in Rome, the government is unveiling its flagship 'Mattei' plan. The blueprint aims to stabilise and speed Africa's economic development through 'non-predatory' partnerships, especially in the energy sector that the government hopes will turn Italy into a hub, supplying gas to Europe.
