Africa risks famine – Liberian President

Liberian President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, has said Africa risks famine until agriculture is transformed in the continent.

Sirleaf who stated this at the African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) taking place in the Ivorian capital, Abidjan, noted that Africa missed the first Green Revolution.

“Until we manage to turn agriculture around, feed ourselves quantitatively and qualitatively, our people will remain at risk of famine, hunger and malnutrition. We must seize the moment and tackle food urgency, while we protect the environment by reducing the land mass used for cultivation,” she said

She said the forum comes at a time when Africa is more coordinated than ever in its policies and strategies and this synergy bodes well for the collaborative approach needed for a successful Green Revolution.

Sirleaf commended the AfDB for taking the lead by making available seed funding of $24 billion for the next 10 years for the Green Revolution and the several initiatives it has formulated to propel the Green Revolution.

“The Feed Africa Strategy seeks to transform African agriculture over the next decade into a competitive and inclusive agribusiness sector that will create wealth, improve ties and secure the environment; while Empowering Novel Agri-Business led Employment (ENABLE Youth) seeks to empower young graduates at each stage of the agribusiness value chain,” she stated.

President Sirleaf called for joint investments in research and development, emphasizing that a state of the art regional agricultural research centre should replace the small inadequately equipped national research centers.

The 2017 African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF), Africa’s foremost agriculture gathering with the theme, “Accelerating the Path to Prosperity: Growing Inclusive Economies and Jobs through Agriculture,” is being attended by 750 delegates and dignitaries, including African Heads of States, Ministers, and key stakeholders in the agricultural sector.