Prime Minister Ishiba Delivers Remarks at "The Future of Sustainable, Inclusive and Resilient Food Systems and Regional Economies in Africa" (TICAD9, August 20, 2025)

Prime Minister Ishiba delivered a comprehensive speech at TICAD9 on "The Future of Sustainable, Inclusive and Resilient Food Systems and Regional Economies in Africa" on August 20, 2025. The Prime Minister emphasized the critical importance of food security as a fundamental aspect of human security, highlighting that while Africa has seen increases in agricultural production, consumption has also risen significantly due to population growth, with much of the rice and wheat being imported. He noted that over half of Africas labor force remains engaged in agriculture, yet yields per unit area still fall below global averages, making agricultural productivity improvement a persistent challenge. The Prime Minister strongly endorsed the Food Basket Initiative launched at the January 2025 AU Special Summit, which aims to select priority crops by region based on local characteristics and facilitate cross-border distribution to enhance food self-sufficiency across the African continent. He highlighted Japans collaborative approach, exemplified by the development of NERICA rice through partnership between Dr. Jones of Sierra Leone and Japanese specialist Mr. Tsuboi, which has now achieved high-quality rice yield increases in 23 out of 54 African countries. The Prime Minister announced Japans commitment to innovative co-creation solutions leveraging both Japanese and African strengths, including AI-driven precision agriculture, satellite and sensor technology for optimal water and fertilizer management, and blue economy approaches utilizing Africas marine resources through sustainable fisheries and aquaculture. Through JICAs Africa Food Security Initiative, Japan aims to contribute to food production for 250 million people, nutritional improvement for 92,000 individuals, and income enhancement for 120,000 small-scale farmers.