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Food Systems and Agricultural Products and Services towards 2050 | 89

  • Stimulate new resources (capital, technology, human resources) from the private sector, financial institutions, civil society and end-users;
  • Include institutional capacity building, transfer of knowledge and skills, technical cooperation and market development.

Future implications to development and sustainability goals. Although a feasibility study including food and fuel tradeoffs is needed, the emerging opportunities for biofuel production in the region may be an avenue toward economic development in sub-Saharan Africa. The range of new value addition and agricultural activities created in the production, processing, transport and storage of residues and energy dedicated crops will also increase non-farm economic opportunities (Sebitosi and Pillay, 2005). With the accompanying investment in infrastructure and potential opportunities for local ownership of the conversion industry, options for poverty reduction may improve.

 Different development pathways are viable in attempting to achieve the various visions for sub-Saharan Africa bioenergy. The future will largely be dictated by the desire to integrate sustainable agriculture concerns, social development objectives and climate and global environmental change objectives with bioenergy expansion (ICSU, 2006).
The most productive bioenergy pathways will be those that improve consumption per capita, in addition to improving or maintaining acceptable social and environmental quality. The rural electrification master plans, for instance, will have to target not only households but also the energy needs for agricultural production, factoring in the energy production potential of agroecosystems. Sustainable bioenergy policies should therefore aim for an agriculture and energy interaction that will provide affordable, accessible and reliable

  

energy services that meet economic, social and environmental needs within the overall developmental context of the society in the region.

4.1.4 Fisheries and aquaculture
The fisheries sector will continue to play multiple roles in SSA economies and will be instrumental for achieving food security, poverty reduction and sustainable development (FAO, 2006b) (Table 4-2). Projections indicate that by 2025 over 60% of poor people in SSA will still be rural. This will continue to have significant implications for fisheries as the sector has the potential to contribute to improved livelihoods and food security (Figure 4-3) (Thorpe, 2004; Thorpe et al., 2004; Béné et al., 2006; FAO, 2006c; Isaacs et al., 2005, 2007).

Fisheries diversity. Projected fish species loss for 13 SSA rivers including the Senegal (52% loss) and Okavango (20% loss) are due primarily to climate change and water withdrawals (Xenopoulos et al., 2005; IPCC, 2007). Freshwater taxa are projected to suffer more from land use changes and invasive species than from climate change. In rivers with reduced discharge, up to 75% of local fish biodiversity will be extinct by 2070.

 Capture fisheries will continue to provide the bulk of fish food in Africa for many decades. Hence, SSA will experience increasing pressure on capture fish especially in the large fresh water systems such as Lake Victoria (UNEP, 2006b). Aquaculture will play an increasing role in food security in Africa as small-scale integrated systems provide additional employment for growing rural populations (WorldFish Center, 2005). In periurban areas small-scale enterprises will increase to meet urban demands for higher quality fish products.

ssa_4_4-3
Figure 4-3. Contribution of fisheries to the GDP of selected West and Central African countries. Source: FAO, 2006b.

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