AGRA, NEPAD partner to achieve food increase and security in Africa

Kofi Annan says Africa needs to take agriculture very seriously.

The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) has entered a partnership described as historic with the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) to work towards increasing food production and security in Africa.

In a press statement, AGRA said the groundbreaking partnership will link African government commitments to agricultural development with concrete programs in seeds, soil health, policy, and markets.

Based on a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed in Abuja, Nigeria, the two organizations will join forces to work directly with national governments and partners across the agricultural value chain in a comprehensive effort to increase the productivity of smallholder farmers growing Africa's staple food crops. They will focus particularly on plans to develop high potential breadbasket areas of African countries, the statement said.

Commenting on the partnership, Mr. Kofi Annan, former UN Secretary-General, and chairman of AGRA said “This partnership will enable African countries to close the gap between intention and action on behalf of smallholder farmers, NEPAD has mobilized public support among African governments to prioritize and invest in agriculture,” adding, “AGRA develops and disseminates the technologies farmers need; bolsters policy reform; builds markets and involves the private sector. Our combined efforts will be a strong force for change across Africa.”

AGRA has been working and developing programmes to assist smallholder farmers across Africa.

Sometime in March 2009, AGRA signed an MOU with the Standard Bank of South Africa in Accra to provide a $100 million low interest loan to assist small scale farmers on the continent.

At the ceremony, Mr. Annan said, “there is no doubt that if Africa were to overcome its food shortages we would need to take agriculture very seriously and invest substantially in agricultural development.”