Later this month, farm researchers, development experts and other
stakeholders will gather in Kigali for a landmark conference to take
stock of agricultural development efforts in Central Africa’s
breadbasket and chart a path towards food security for the region.
With the highest population density in sub-Saharan Africa, the Great
Lakes region includes Burundi, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo
and Rwanda. Although these are high-potential areas for farm
production due to good rainfall and temperatures that allow cropping
most of the year, persistent civil conflicts, lack of infrastructure,
political instability and poverty have left small farmers struggling
to eke out a living. Food security is a major problem in the region,
with some areas reporting 30 to 40 percent of families being food
insecure.
The Consortium for Improving Agriculture-based Livelihoods in Central
Africa (CIALCA) and the CGIAR Research Programme on the Humid Tropics
will hold the first international conference to examine the challenges
and opportunities for intensifying farm production in sub-Saharan
Africa’s humid tropical regions.
Key speakers for the opening session include the following. A press
conference (9:30 am in the Delegate Room) will immediately follow.
Dr. Agnes Matilda Kalibata, Minister of Agriculture, Rwanda
Prof. Ndabikunze Shem Martin, Director General, Rwanda Agricultural Board
Dr. Hans R Herren, President, Millennium Institute, USA
Experts will address a number of questions, including:
How can farm biodiversity contribute to reducing malnutrition while
boosting farmer incomes?
Will climate change help or hurt farmers in the region?
Can smallholder farmers compete with large landholders?
How can intercropping coffee and bananas increase farmer income and
have positive natural effects on soil health?
What is the best way to boost farm yields without increasing
deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions in the already overloaded
atmosphere?
Can organic farming reverse the region’s low agricultural productivity
and meet tomorrow’s food needs?
Why is fertilizer so expensive in Central Africa?
Can agricultural production keep pace with the rapid population
growth, knowing that much of the highlands have no more fallow land?
Since 2006, CIALCA, which is led by International Institute for
Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Bioversity International, and Tropical
Soil Biology and Fertility Institute of the International Center of
Tropical Agriculture (TSBF-CIAT), has been working with public and
private sector partners to make improvements to farm production,
market access, and child nutrition in the Great Lakes region.
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