Annan’s Vision for Hunger-Free Africa
By Staff Writer
ROME----In a keynote speech this morning, former UN Secretary-General and Chair of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), Kofi Annan, set out his vision for Africa’s future role in global food security: that it can feed not only its own citizens, but also help meet the needs of the hungry across the world.
Speaking to delegates at the thirty-fourth International Fund for Agricultural Development’s (IFAD) Governing Council, Mr. Annan said that transforming agriculture in Africa will transform the continent’s prospects, and provide the platform for achieving prosperity and peace.
“Achieving this vision will depend on sharing knowledge, building partnerships, creating the right policy environment in African countries and delivering increased international investment in agriculture”, said the former UN chief.
He underscored the need for smallholder farmers to be placed at the heart of Africa’s green revolution, with the knowledge and support to play their full part in transforming food production through access to seeds, fertilizers and other resources.
Mr Annan called for improved global trade rules to allow crops to be sold at a fair price for farmers and consumers. He encourage investors to target a critical mass of resources and efforts towards regions which can grow a large share of the continent’s staple food and – in the longer term – enable Africa to create a surplus for global export.
“I want to set out a vision that is optimistic but achievable: where African can feed not only its own citizens but helps meet the needs of the hungry across the world. It is a vision which requires us to transform agriculture on the continent by building on the progress already underway. In doing so, we will also transform the prospects for Africa.”
“The march towards achieving an African Green Revolution is about scaling up thousands of small successes occurring across the continent to create sustained transformation. It is also about making farming attractive to young people with ambition and drive.”
“We have the potential to feed not just our own citizens but to help create a secure global food system. A quiet revolution, led by Africa’s small-holder farmers, is already underway. We all need to work together to make sure these green shoots flourish. Sharing knowledge, building partnerships, creating the right policy environment at national level and delivering the increased international investment needed in agriculture will enable Africa’s farmers to rise to the challenge of tackling hunger and food insecurity within their continent and across the world.”
AGRA is an Africa based organization working in partnership with governments, agricultural research organizations, farmers, private sector, civil society and other rural development stakeholders to significantly and sustainably improve the productivity and incomes of resource poor farmers in Africa. AGRA’s programmes in the areas of seeds, soil health, market viability, supportive policies and innovative finance work to bring about transformational change across the agricultural value chain. Funded initially by the Rockefeller Foundation and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, AGRA is chaired by Kofi Annan and has offices in Nairobi, Kenya and Accra, Ghana.