Liberia, Others, Join Korea-Africa Agriculture Initiative To Boost Food Security, Development

Liberia has officially joined the Korea-Africa Food & Agriculture Cooperation Initiative (KAFACI), which aims to enhance the country’s agricultural sector.

The announcement was made during the 6th KAFACI General Assembly held Tuesday and Wednesday in Nairobi, Kenya. Up to 10 other African countries were also inaugurated as new members.

Liberia’s Agriculture Minister, Dr J. Alexander Nuetah, appreciated KAFACI for accepting Liberia as a member and praised the initiative’s efforts to tackle global challenges such as food insecurity and agricultural development.

Minister Nuetah highlighted the critical importance of agriculture to Liberia’s economy, noting that the sector amounted to 30 per cent of the nation’s economy in 2023 and employed 70 per cent of the workforce, 75 per cent of which were women.

However, Nuetah said Liberia’s agricultural sector faces several challenges, including low investment, outdated production systems, and limited access to financial resources.

Nuetah said Liberia’s President, Joseph Boakai, launched the National Agriculture Development Plan (NADP 2024-2030) to tackle these issues. The minister added that the plan aims to improve agricultural research, enhance productivity, develop value chains, and expand financing options for agribusinesses.

He expressed optimism about the collaboration with KAFACI, which he believed aligned with Liberia’s NADP goals. The collaboration will focus on digital innovation, engaging youth in agriculture, and strengthening supply chains.

KAFACI, established in 2010, is an organisation created to promote sustainable agriculture, food security, and economic cooperation between Korea and African countries. Nigeria is one of its founding members, and now has over 30 members.

According to the Korean Rural Development Administration (RDA) Administrator, Cho Chae-ho, KAFACI’s most notable achievement is the cross-breeding of African local rice seeds with Korean varieties to produce a “super rice” tailored for African consumption.

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