AGRA urges G8 countries to support agriculture in Africa

Accra, May 18, GNA - The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) has welcomed the continued leadership of US President Barack Obama and the G8 members in the search for solutions to food security in Africa.

“AGRA welcomes the continued leadership of US President Barack Obama and the G8 members in the search for solutions to food security in Africa. The approach being put forward by the G8 is modeled on some of AGRA's on-going work on behalf of Africa's smallholder farmers."

This was contained in a statement issued and copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Accra on Friday.

It said AGRA was working with its partners to create breadbaskets in Africa through support to millions of smallholder farmers.

"We are pleased there is now a common consensus on what needs to be done, what smallholder farmers need: supportive policies, better seeds, access to finance and soil inputs, skills development and extension services, national research systems, open markets and infrastructure. Early results, based on AGRA's efforts to meet these needs in 16 countries over the last five years, are very encouraging."

The statement said because of the collective efforts of African Governments, the global donor community, international foundations, research institutes, domestic and international private sectors, farmers, NGOs and many other entities, had seen progress and momentum, but efforts must now be redoubled.

"At L'Aquila, the G8 members stepped up. Now we are asking them to scale up, speed up, and invest up. This is ultimately an opportunity to build the next growth engine of the global economy. Millions of African smallholder farmers are poised to become an integral part of that economy, as both producers and consumers."

It said AGRA supported an approach that was coordinated globally, but was African led and focused on smallholder farmers, adding that, "This approach must be equitable, transparent, accountable, and environmentally sustainable to the satisfaction of all stakeholders”.

AGRA is a dynamic partnership working across the African continent to help millions of small-scale farmers and their families lift themselves out of poverty and hunger.

Its programmes develop practical solutions to significantly boost farm productivity and incomes for the poor while safeguarding the environment.

AGRA advocates for policies that support its work across all key aspects of the African agricultural value chain – from seeds, soil health and water to finance, markets research and agricultural education.

It works across 16 sub-Saharan Africa and maintains offices in Nairobi, Kenya, and Ghana.

GNA