Heads of state and
high-level officials from over 40 countries are among 1,500 agriculture experts
gathering for the Sixth African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF 2016) in Nairobi,
Kenya.
They
have promised to “seize the moment” and deliver hundreds of millions of dollars
in new investments for African farmers and agriculture businesses.
“There is unprecedented agreement here in
Kenya and across Africa that big investments in agriculture are the key to food
security and strong economic growth,” said Uhuru Kenyatta, President of the
Republic of Kenya, who is hosting the Forum. “We need to capitalize on this
consensus—particularly with drought exposing long-standing vulnerabilities in
food production and crashing commodity prices demanding more sustainable
economic strategies that agriculture clearly can provide.”
AGRF 2016’s official slogan is “Seize the
Moment” – Securing Africa’s Rise through Agricultural Transformation.
“Seize
the Moment” is also the name of an ambitious Africa-wide agriculture campaign
launched by the African Union Commission, the New Partnership for Africa’s
Development (NEPAD), the African Development Bank (AfDB) and key NGOs and donor
countries.
There
is hope that it will soon be backed by hundreds of millions of dollars in new
investments from African governments, development partners, the private sector
and financial institutions.
The “Seize the Moment” campaign is expected
to bring a world-wide call to action from the United States Agency for
International Development (USAID), energized by President Obama’s Global Food
Security initiative—the largest development commitment from the administration
and one that is aligned closely with the African Union’s agriculture
agenda.
In addition, both the Rockefeller
Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation are expected to endorse the
campaign and continue their strong backing of efforts to boost production and
income for smallholder farmers and local agriculture businesses.
Ten
years ago, funding from the two organizations launched the Nairobi-based
Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). Today, they continue to work
closely with AGRA, which has developed an extensive network of partners in the
public and private sector across 18 countries.
Meanwhile, following the lead of President
Kenyatta, heads of state from Rwanda and Ghana are expected to highlight
detailed, nationwide agriculture development strategies covering multi-year
spending plans, policy reforms and accountability scorecards.
“While
much has been accomplished over the last decade, we need to work far more
aggressively to tap the potential of agriculture to be a powerful engine of
economic growth across Africa,” said Mr. Strive Masiyiwa, Founder and
Executive Chairman of Econet Wireless who also chairs AGRA’s Board. “Just as we
have seen in Africa’s telecom revolution, I believe the private sector can
become a force for social change by transforming African agriculture,” he
added. “Business-focused investments in production, processing and marketing
can ensure that the soaring demand for food products among Africa’s urban
consumers delivers new economic opportunities for rural communities and African
youth.”
A major highlight of the
meeting will be the release of a landmark annual African Agriculture Status
Report (AASR). Subtitled “Progress towards an Agriculture Transformation in
Sub-Saharan Africa,” AASR 2016 offers a detailed analysis of a decade-long
agriculture expansion effort that has been the most successful development
initiative in African history. The report also offers a frank assessment of the
challenges that lie ahead and recommends strategies for overcoming them.
Another groundbreaking moment
at the AGRF will be the inaugural award of the newly-created Africa Food Prize. The accolade calls attention to
individuals and institutions that are inspiring and driving agricultural
innovation throughout Africa.
The
Africa Food Prize Committee is chaired by Olusegun Obasanjo, former President
of Nigeria.
This year’s AGRF will feature many other
heroes of African agriculture who are committed to mobilizing the investments
and partnerships that can “seize the moment” for making Africa’s agriculture
potential a reality.
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