BY DR. NAMANGA NGONGI, AGRA PRESIDENT
AGRA CSO PLANNING MEETING
ACCRA, GHANA
1. I am delighted to make some remarks at the opening of this planning
meeting towards developing a CSO Strategy for AGRA. I am very
delighted because this meeting brings together a very important
constituency in the work we are doing as AGRA. At AGRA we believe that
Civil Society is a critical driver of agricultural development hence
our decision to hold this second consultation on Agricultural
development.
2. This meeting comes at a very opportune time because Agriculture is
now a very important agenda globally following the recent events in
the Horn. There is no better time than now to endeavour to raise
agricultural production and productivity in Africa given the rising
food prices in the global markets. It is shame that in this day and
age, we are still seeing increasing cases of severe hunger among the
rural poor and over 265 million undernourished people in Africa.
3. There is no need to overemphasize the role agriculture plays in
employment, growth and poverty reduction in Africa. Agriculture is by
far the most important sector for any reform agenda in Africa and the
driver of growth, poverty reduction, and food security. In Sub-Saharan
Africa, the agricultural sector employs 65 percent of the labour force
and generates 32 per cent of GDP growth. Yet this sector is largely
overlooked in development policies and programs. While 75 per cent of
the world’s poor live in rural areas in developing countries, only 4
per cent of official development assistance goes to agriculture.
4. It is sad to note that African governments spend on average US$33
billion annually importing 43 million tons of food to feed the hungry.
However, these figures could grow exponentially with the rising global
food prices and reduced domestic production. We have a collective
responsibility to reverse this situation whose consequences are many,
including civil unrest as has been witnessed recently in many African
countries.
5. This is why the agenda of this meeting is very important. Civil
society has an important role to play in ensuring that agriculture
meets its strong growth potential and ensures employment creation in
Africa.We all need to work together to ensure improved agricultural
productivity, reduction in food prices,increase in wage levels and
competitiveness in the economy as a whole. Without investments in
agriculture there is a risk thathigher food prices could eradicatefive
to 10 years ofpoverty reduction efforts.
6. At AGRA we believe that Agricultural development is the key to
poverty reduction in Africa. This because there is demonstrated
evidence that GDP growth originating in agriculture is two to four
times more effective in raising incomes of extremely poor people than
GDP growth originating outside the sector. Investments in small-holder
and subsistence farmers are critical in a pro-poor development agenda.
7. AGRA believes that neither the government nor any single
institution has the means to deliver a green revolution for Africa.
Lasting success requires smart partnerships, committed and sustained
African leadership, and increased investments by donors and
governments. This is the reason why AGRA’s supports efforts like the
AU’s Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Program (CAADP) and
the US-led Feed the Future initiative, which are coordinating funding
and actions to support agriculture and African farmers. We are
delighted that there’s increasing global momentum in support of the
CAADP Agenda hence the reason why we recently signed an MOU with NEPAD
with a view to supporting post-CAADP compact activities with
priorities in P1 Countries, Mali, Ghana, Tanzania and Mozambique. We
need your support to ensure that governments meet their CAADP
commitments and increase investments in agriculture.
8. As you meet today, I urge you to let your thought processes be
influenced by two things. First, the challenges facing our continent
require uniquely African solutions and that is why it is so great to
have you here to define an agenda for Africa. I believe strongly that
Africa has the capacity to feed itself and to even be the breadbasket
of the rest of the world. What islacking are clearly policies and
adequate investments in the sector. Secondly please remember that
smallholder farmers are the foundation of Africa’s development and
that farming is the mainstay of most African economies and family
incomes. Yet, the majority of smallholder farmers, are net purchasers
of food and living in abject poverty.As CSOs we must advocate for the
creation of safety nets and smart subsidies for such groups.
9. Over the next two days, I challenge you to develop a strong agenda
for civil society aimed at turning this situation around. I invite you
to be bold and strategic in your deliberations and hope that by the
end of tomorrow we will have a clear civil society-led strategyaimed
at increasing momentum towards a green revolution in Africa. I wish
you good deliberations.
Thank you