Summary: High-level Segment Roundtable 2 Realizing a Green Revolution in Africa
Dear Honorable Ministers, representatives of Government, Major Groups, UN agencies
and programmes, ladies and gentlemen,
I would like to summarize for you the main points we discussed in Roundtable 2 on
?Realizing a Sustainable Green Revolution in Africa?. We had a number of excellent
presentations by resource persons in plenary as well as a rich discussion in the two subroundtables.
I have tried to capture the highlights.
The importance of a uniquely African green revolution was stressed, one which is built
on the three pillars of sustainable development. Speakers emphasized that much could be
achieved in boosting agricultural productivity even with currently available technologies
and knowledge, but that a key challenge is their wider diffusion and uptake by farmers.
Still, to feed a growing population adequately and to allow for improved nutrition under
conditions of growing water scarcity, climate change, soil depletion and ecosystem
degradation, business as usual will not suffice. Ministers highlighted the urgency of
appropriate national and international action and greater cooperation to bring about a
paradigm shift and to realize a truly sustainable green revolution that reverses the
widespread trends of declining agricultural productivity and incomes.
African farmers also face steep costs or unavailability of essential agricultural inputs,
high post harvest losses, and limited access to national, regional and international
markets. Agricultural supply chains need to be strengthened, including post-harvest
processing and storage.
Increased investment in research will be needed to boost productivity, making full use of
indigenous knowledge and responding to farmers? needs and local conditions. It was
suggested that farmers and rural communities should be consulted when setting
agricultural research agendas. Also, research could be more closely linked to teaching,
training and extension services.
Ministers had an exchange of views with experts on what sorts of new technologies
should be explored and whether certain genetically modified organisms might be
considered if they could help address Africa?s food needs. Discussions focused not only
on the scientific case, but on the questions of farmer and public acceptance and who
would fund promising research which might have limited commercial potential.
Extension services need to be revitalized in many countries and made more representative
of farmers, most of whom are women. Investments are needed in measures to reverse
land degradation, in irrigation, rural roads and other infrastructure, and in health and
education. Satellite technologies can be valuable in monitoring soil conditions.
Government has to make many of these investments, but it was recognized that the
private sector must play a central role in expanding agricultural production and building
agricultural value chains. Institutions to support private initiative need to be strengthened,
including secure tenure rights, including for women farmers.
Comprehensive legislative reforms on land are being undertaken in some African
countries, and it was suggested that these could be replicated elsewhere to empower
farmers and rural communities. Women?s empowerment was particularly stressed.
Farmers? organizations such as marketing cooperatives need to be strengthened to enable
them to play a stronger role in the marketplace and to participate in agro-processing and
other parts of the value chain. Such organizations can also play an important role in
shaping government policies toward agriculture.
New institutions are needed to help farmers better manage their risks, including weather
and climate insurance affordable to small farmers.
Participants noted the importance of efforts to diversify rural economies by promoting
non-farm activities and enterprises (including sustainable tourism and management of
nature reserves). In this way, migration from rural to urban areas could be reduced.
Several Ministers observed that there was a need to reengage in the WTO negotiations in
the area of agriculture and reach trade agreements that are fair and will benefit
developing countries.
Ministers shared information on recent commitments and on on-going and planned
international technical and financial cooperation programmes, including a growing
number of South-South cooperation initiatives launched to enhance agricultural
production in Africa. Such programmes include training, capacity building and
scholarships, sharing of satellite imagery for monitoring soils and land degradation,
transfer of biofuels technology and know how, promotion of agricultural and
infrastructure investments, trade financing and facilitation of market access for
agricultural trade between developing countries.
and programmes, ladies and gentlemen,
I would like to summarize for you the main points we discussed in Roundtable 2 on
?Realizing a Sustainable Green Revolution in Africa?. We had a number of excellent
presentations by resource persons in plenary as well as a rich discussion in the two subroundtables.
I have tried to capture the highlights.
The importance of a uniquely African green revolution was stressed, one which is built
on the three pillars of sustainable development. Speakers emphasized that much could be
achieved in boosting agricultural productivity even with currently available technologies
and knowledge, but that a key challenge is their wider diffusion and uptake by farmers.
Still, to feed a growing population adequately and to allow for improved nutrition under
conditions of growing water scarcity, climate change, soil depletion and ecosystem
degradation, business as usual will not suffice. Ministers highlighted the urgency of
appropriate national and international action and greater cooperation to bring about a
paradigm shift and to realize a truly sustainable green revolution that reverses the
widespread trends of declining agricultural productivity and incomes.
African farmers also face steep costs or unavailability of essential agricultural inputs,
high post harvest losses, and limited access to national, regional and international
markets. Agricultural supply chains need to be strengthened, including post-harvest
processing and storage.
Increased investment in research will be needed to boost productivity, making full use of
indigenous knowledge and responding to farmers? needs and local conditions. It was
suggested that farmers and rural communities should be consulted when setting
agricultural research agendas. Also, research could be more closely linked to teaching,
training and extension services.
Ministers had an exchange of views with experts on what sorts of new technologies
should be explored and whether certain genetically modified organisms might be
considered if they could help address Africa?s food needs. Discussions focused not only
on the scientific case, but on the questions of farmer and public acceptance and who
would fund promising research which might have limited commercial potential.
Extension services need to be revitalized in many countries and made more representative
of farmers, most of whom are women. Investments are needed in measures to reverse
land degradation, in irrigation, rural roads and other infrastructure, and in health and
education. Satellite technologies can be valuable in monitoring soil conditions.
Government has to make many of these investments, but it was recognized that the
private sector must play a central role in expanding agricultural production and building
agricultural value chains. Institutions to support private initiative need to be strengthened,
including secure tenure rights, including for women farmers.
Comprehensive legislative reforms on land are being undertaken in some African
countries, and it was suggested that these could be replicated elsewhere to empower
farmers and rural communities. Women?s empowerment was particularly stressed.
Farmers? organizations such as marketing cooperatives need to be strengthened to enable
them to play a stronger role in the marketplace and to participate in agro-processing and
other parts of the value chain. Such organizations can also play an important role in
shaping government policies toward agriculture.
New institutions are needed to help farmers better manage their risks, including weather
and climate insurance affordable to small farmers.
Participants noted the importance of efforts to diversify rural economies by promoting
non-farm activities and enterprises (including sustainable tourism and management of
nature reserves). In this way, migration from rural to urban areas could be reduced.
Several Ministers observed that there was a need to reengage in the WTO negotiations in
the area of agriculture and reach trade agreements that are fair and will benefit
developing countries.
Ministers shared information on recent commitments and on on-going and planned
international technical and financial cooperation programmes, including a growing
number of South-South cooperation initiatives launched to enhance agricultural
production in Africa. Such programmes include training, capacity building and
scholarships, sharing of satellite imagery for monitoring soils and land degradation,
transfer of biofuels technology and know how, promotion of agricultural and
infrastructure investments, trade financing and facilitation of market access for
agricultural trade between developing countries.