The acting Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, has assured that Europe and Africa share objectives to promote sustainable agricultural development, since one of the great challenges in both continents is "to produce more with a lower consumption of natural resources" "in a scenario like the current one of search of solutions to fight against the climatic change.
Planas has participated today in the III Ministerial Conference of Agriculture of the European Union-African Union held in Rome and has participated in the high-level panel on the use of digital solutions in agriculture, as well as in the plenary session.
The minister has exposed the Spanish experience in digitalisation and the challenges that must be faced to ensure the future of agriculture and the rural environment. Planas has collaborated to contribute to co-development between both continents.
It has also influenced that another of the great common challenges for Europe and Africa is that of the demographic problem. Both continents share the need to empower women. "A dynamic and lively rural environment means a rural environment in which women play an important role," said the minister, who also spoke of the need, especially in Europe, to focus on the generational changeover.
Putting the focus on digitalization is another element that "unites us" to address the necessary sustainable development of agriculture and economically viable for which infrastructure is needed.
He noted that in the Spanish case, 95% of the national territory has Internet coverage and "our goal in the next 5 years is to achieve coverage of 100% of the territory", a "fundamental issue for the development of agriculture and livestock rural environment.
It has also had an impact on training and has valued that the young generations "are already digital by their DNA", which means "a great opportunity to make the leap forward" towards an agri-food production that maximizes food production, as well as its distribution and sale.
The European Union and the African Union will adopt a ministerial declaration of mutual collaboration to promote shared enrichment. The strengthening of the African agri-food sector, as well as the promotion of balanced territorial development in that continent, will contribute to economic growth in Africa.