food sovereignty :priority at the 15th summit-Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries

15th summit of the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries (CPLP), held on July 18th in Bissau (Guinea-Bissau), the heads of state and government of member countries made food sovereignty a major priority.

The heads of state and government of the member countries of the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries (CPLP) have designated food sovereignty as a major priority, according to a note published at the end of their 15th summit, held on July 18 in Bissau, Guinea. The organization is committed to strengthening agricultural research and promoting agricultural mechanization, with the aim of reducing food vulnerability in African member countries.

Created in 1996 in Lisbon, the CPLP comprises nine countries, including Angola, Cape Verde, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique and Guinea-Bissau.

In Guinea-Bissau, despite its natural assets, agriculture accounts for only 25% of gross domestic product and employs almost 80% of the working population. Similarly, GDP from agriculture in Angola reached 10%, reaching 45,306.80 million kwanzas in the first quarter of 2025.

Under the leadership of Guinea-Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embalo, the CPLP intends to make significant efforts to achieve self-sufficiency, particularly in rice and corn production, although agriculture plays a less important role in the GDP of countries such as Angola and Equatorial Guinea, where the oil and gas sectors dominate the economy.

source: Africa24