Cape Town — The key to ending poverty in Africa is the development of small-scale farming, former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan told a session of the World Economic Forum on Africa on Thursday.
"Sub-Saharan Africa is the only region in the world where per capita food production has steadily declined," Annan said in a keynote address delivered in Cape Town. "One-third of the continent's population is chronically undernourished. Most of our farmers lack access to productive crop varieties, adequate water resources and soil nutrients."
Poverty has to be addressed at its core, he said. "In Africa, this means enabling small-scale farmers to grow and sell Africa's food."
In practical terms, this would involve "dramatically increas[ing] the productivity, food security, incomes and livelihoods of small-scale farmers, many of whom are women," he added.
Annan announced at the forum that he had accepted the position of chairman of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA).
The Alliance was formed last year in response to calls from African leaders to "chart a new path for prosperity by spurring the continent's agricultural development," according to a statement from AGRA released in conjunction with his announcement.
Programs to promote small-scale farming have been developed in both Asia and Latin America in recent decades, and Annan said the Alliance would build on the achievements and lessons learned from these continents' experiences.
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He emphasized, however, that the revolution the Alliance envisages will be uniquely African.
"Ours is a revolution of the 21st century, one that we Africans will own, whose destiny we will shape, and which responds to the specific environmental challenges faced by our continent….African nations and farmers will choose those that are best suited for our African cultures, climates, and economies."
He stressed that the Alliance's hoped-for "revolution" would not be just another rhetorical exercise: "I have spent decades listening to people talk about Africa's problems, making promises to help. It's an experience that has left me thirsty for concrete action."
The Alliance has laid out a five-year plan to provide more agricultural education, improve the health of Africa's soil, improve water management, and to bring about systemic changes involving crop-storage, processing and transport to markets. It has also undertaken to tackle problems at development policy level at the same time.
AGRA is funded by an initial grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation, but is looking for partnerships with all sectors of society.
On Annan's appointment as chairman, AGRA board member Strive Masiyiwa said: "It has been very clear that to galvanize Africa's energy and to bring about the drive for this initiative, we need unique leadership. And not only has Africa raised such a leader, but the time is now and the man is here."
