The Africa Regional Preparatory Conference for the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), held concurrently with the Seventh Session of the Committee on Food Security and Sustainable Development (CFSSD7), convened today in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

In the morning, delegates heard opening statements, deliberated on the election of bureau members and adopted the agenda.  They noted that Rio+20 is a key moment for Africa to assess progress in sustainable development, and is also an opportunity for African countries to communicate their needs for a framework for sustainable development.

During the afternoon, delegates convened to discuss issues relating to CFSSD7, including the implementation of the 2010/2011 work programme of the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) subprogramme on food security and sustainable development as well as the implementation of the outcomes of the World Summit on Sustainable Development. They also heard presentations on: the challenges, opportunities and policies for food security in Africa; development of the strategic agricultural commodity value chains for FSSD in Africa; the Land Policy Initiative; and the Climate Change and Development in Africa Programme.

Delegates highlighted the land use conflict between agriculture and biofuels; the need for increased investment in agriculture; the importance of technology transfer for improved infrastructure, specifically for renewable energy technologies and water resource management; and the involvement of women in the agricultural sector.