Nouri: African countries have to ensure food security

African countries have to ensure their food security by increasing the production capacities, which requires a "strong political willingness," said Thursday in Tunis Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Abdelouahab Nouri.In his address at the 28th session of Regional Conference of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on Africa, Nouri underlined that the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEAPD) "has contributed to the achievement of the agricultural development programme in Africa by reaching the objectives set.The minister also hailed the "progress made" during the past decade and which allowed to increase the gross domestic product (GDP) in the sector of agriculture in Africa, and to decrease the rate of poverty and malnutrition.Nouri has however emphasized the "insecurity" resulting from the local and regional conflicts and their impacts on the agricultural sector, in addition to the climate disturbances and their effects on crops.He also underlined the need to modernize the sector in order "to ensure abundant production of staple farm products, develop food-processing industry and diversify the business activity in the rural regions."The conference will culminate in the adoption of a series of recommendations aiming at boosting investments in the agricultural sector in order to create jobs opportunities for youth.