"Africa is the only region of the world that is not going to be able to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger if we continue with business as usual" - Vice-President of the Alliance for a Green Revolution
An impassioned call for a uniquely African Green Revolution that is specifically geared to meeting the region's particular agro-ecological conditions and the needs of its people was recently made by Dr Akinwunmi Adesina at the Commonwealth Secretariat's headquarters in London, UK.
The Vice-President of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) said particular priority must be placed on improving the productivity and enhanced market opportunities for the staple crops (including cassava, banana, rice and maize).
This includes drawing on the considerable potential for securing advances in conventional crop breeding - similar to those that have made it possible to develop new higher yielding rice variety known as the 'New Rice for Africa'.
African agriculture in recent times, according to Dr Adesina, has been dogged by a "policy of neglect". Reflecting on the challenges ahead, including the prevailing global financial crisis, he lamented the lack of readiness of international institutions to finance the necessary investments needed to support African agriculture.
Dr Adesina, who visited Marlborough House on 19 November 2008 accompanied by Barbara Noseworthy, AGRA's Senior Resource Mobilisation Officer, advocated the establishment of a distinct Global Fund for Agriculture to support national Green Revolution investment plans.
Founded in 2006, AGRA is a partnership that is committed to lifting African small-scale farming families out of poverty and hunger.
During his visit, Dr Adesina gave a short presentation on the urgent challenge of feeding Africa. The presentation highlighted the worrying trends in the degradation of Africa's natural resource base and assets (including soil nutrient depletion and deforestation). The presentation also touched on a number of emerging lessons for policy-makers interested in addressing Africa's growing food problem, including the dangers of an excessive reliance on market forces for assuring food supplies at both national and household level.
He highlighted the significant strides that Malawi has made in grain production and cereals trade on the back of a strong political commitment to improving agricultural performance, including incentives designed to make agricultural inputs (especially seeds and fertilisers) more accessible to small-scale rural farmers.
A brief overview of the work of AGRA itself was also provided, including ongoing support to farm input agro dealers in Malawi, Tanzania and Kenya. The agro dealers act as a one-stop shop for farmers seeking to buy modern inputs (seeds, fertilisers, herbicides, etc.) and they also provide advice on proper use of these farm inputs. The growth of agro dealers has been facilitated by financing mechanisms, including credit guarantee schemes, involving the full participation of local financial institutions (commercial banks).
Reflecting on a number of possible areas for collaboration, José Maurel, Director of Special Advisory Services at the Commonwealth Secretariat, signalled the organisation's interest in collaborative efforts, particularly given the shocks being experienced by many of the Commonwealth member countries arising from the recent food and energy price crisis.
Following his presentation, Dr Adesina and Ms Noseworthy met with Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma for discussions focusing on collaboration opportunities between AGRA and the Secretariat.
FACT BOX
- Fertiliser use in Sub-Saharan Africa at an average of 8kg per hectare is the lowest in the world compared with a global average of 150kg per hectare.
- There has been a progressive decline in official development assistance (ODA) to agriculture and rural development in Africa since the late 1980s. Agriculture ODA declined from US$4 billion to less than US$1 billion a year.