• Mali’s food security commissioner says national sovereignty depends on food sovereignty
• Government plans 2024–2033 projects to boost farming and cut reliance on imports
• Africa spends $50bn a year on food imports, weakening state sovereignty, Afreximbank says

National sovereignty cannot exist without food sovereignty, said Redouwane Ag Mohamed Ali, Mali’s Commissioner for Food Security, during a Sahel-focused panel at the African Food Systems Forum (AFSF) in Dakar, which began on August 31.

As the Sahel faces both security and food crises, the session addressed the challenges of achieving stability, resilience, and sustainable growth through stronger food systems.

Ali stressed that greater investment in agriculture to reduce dependence on imports is a key step toward national sovereignty. He highlighted Mali’s resources, including an estimated 2,700 billion cubic meters of underground water and vast areas of arable land, as major assets for boosting production.

He noted that the Malian government has launched major projects for 2024–2033 to strengthen agriculture, position the country as a regional food security hub, and develop export capacity. “There is no national sovereignty without food sovereignty. Each dollar invested will bring back double,” he said.

According to Afreximbank, African countries collectively import about $50 billion worth of food each year. This heavy reliance on external supply undermines state sovereignty and weighs on national economies.