6 May 2010, World Economic Forum, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania – The partners behind the African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) announced today that Ghana will host the first Africa-based Forum in Accra from 1 – 4 September 2010. This new initiative seeks to catalyze investments and increased cooperation to drive development of African agriculture. Behind the initiative are AGRA (Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa), Yara International (who first initiated the conference in Oslo, Norway in 2006), Nepad and Standard Bank.
“The African Green Revolution Forum will bring public and private sector stakeholders together aiming to boost Africa’s agricultural development,” says Namanga Ngongi, President of AGRA. “The rapidly increasing demand for food presents both challenges and opportunities for Africa. We want to inspire action and public-private partnerships that boost both smallholder and commercial farming.”
Public-private partnerships are key to creating momentum and real progress. The Forum will bring together leaders from governments in Africa, global enterprises, development agencies and world experts on agricultural development to drive partnership-action within five specific areas:
• The investment opportunity
• The policy environment
• Reducing the cost of finance
• Increasing agricultural productivity
• Increasing financial returns to farmers
For smallholder farmers in Africa to become commercially viable farmers and get their products to markets, they need access to fertilizer, seeds and water to increase yield, and infrastructure including electricity, roads and railways, to get their products to markets. A transformation of agricultural development and infrastructure in Africa is key to fighting poverty and hunger and in reaching the Millennium Development Goals.
About the AGR Forum
The African Green Revolution Forum is a public and private sector-led Forum for Africa, bringing together key stakeholders to help drive investment into key projects to address food security. By bringing together high-profile African heads of state, ministers, farmers, private agribusiness firms, financial institutions, NGOs, civil society and scientists to an African-led forum. This leading network it is a catalyst to realizing the African Green Revolution. The forum stems from three successful African Green Revolution Conferences in Oslo, Norway. This year it will be co-chaired by Mr. Kofi A. Annan, and hosted by H. E. John Atta Mills, President of Ghana from 1-4 September 2010 in Accra, Ghana.
