Green revolution to boost food security

The chairman of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), Kofi Annan, has advised African government to put more emphasis on supporting small scale farmers as a way of fighting poverty as well as hunger in the continent.He said this while opening the African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) in Arusha, Tanzania, that brought together agricultural ministers, leaders and agro-scientific experts to identify concrete actions to transform Africa’s agricultural sector. AGRF is a global platform that aims at promoting private sector investment and policy support needed to increase agricultural productivity and income growth for the African agricultural sectors.“Our focus on improving the productivity and profitability of smallholder farmers – most of whom are women – cannot waver. They are the ones who put food on our tables. They are the ones who care for our land and water resources,” said Annan. “In the end, they will be the ones to propel the economic growth and development of Africa in the 21st century”.Africa is blessed with fertile soils but continues to be affected by food insecurity due to lack of political commitment to fully finance the agricultural sector.Melinda Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, who attended the forum highlighted the significant progress made in African agriculture over the past decade, and appealed for continued support from leaders. “I urge Africa’s leaders to re-commit to your pledge to help farm families increase their productivity. I urge you to set an agenda for the next decade that is even more ambitious,” she said, adding, “I hope you take great care that your pledges and plans are geared to help farm families achieve their goals.”Recently, the issue of food insecurity hindered the continent leading to the death of hundreds of people, especially in Somalia. Experts maintain that high population growth explains why the relatively strong economic performance in sub-Saharan Africa since 1990, has failed to deliver the desired progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).It is estimated that the continent now has around 1.02 billion people with approximately 950 million living in Sub-Saharan Africa and projections indicate that going by the current rate, the population may rise to 1.8 billion by 2050.“We are poised to succeed in our quest for eradicating hunger and poverty in Africa through transforming agriculture,” said Tanzanian President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete.“With the right policy mix, appropriate interventions being taken by African governments, the continued support of donors, and robust participation of private sector both local and foreign, transformation of agriculture in Africa is an achievable undertaking”.

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Green revolution to boost food security