Africa's recent growth has failed to translate into meaningful job creation and the broad-based economic and social development needed to reduce poverty and inequality. Although agricultural growth is a critical driver of inclusive growth and poverty reduction, Africa's agriculture sector and agribusinesses are underperforming. Agricultural growth has largely been driven by cultivating more land and mobilizing more labour, with limited yield improvement, and this is unsustainable. Africa also has the highest prevalence of undernourishment in the world, with one in four people undernourished.

As part of the Bank's continuing efforts to address these challenges, and in solidarity with the African Union's declaration of 2014 as the Africa Year of Agriculture and Food Security, the Bank is commemorating Africa Year of Agriculture and Food Security in Abidjan.

The primary objectives of the event are as follows:

• To deepen awareness of the need to promote agriculture as the long-term vehicle for driving inclusive growth and sustainable development; and
• To enhance the visibility of and bolster commitment to agriculture and food and nutrition security.

Year of Agriculture - Jobs & Food

Africa's recent growth has failed to translate into meaningful job creation and the broad-based economic and social development needed to reduce poverty and inequality. Although agricultural growth is a critical driver of inclusive growth and poverty reduction, Africa's agriculture sector and agribusinesses are underperforming. Africa also has the highest prevalence of undernourishment in the world, with one in four people undernourished.As part of the African Development Bank's continuing efforts to address these challenges, and in solidarity with the African Union's declaration of 2014 as the Africa Year of Agriculture and Food Security, the Bank has commemorated Africa Year of Agriculture and Food Security in Abidjan.

The meeting will be opened by AfDB President Donald Kaberuka. The event will feature a keynote address on the theme "Agriculture: The Green Gold of Africa" by Prof. Wiseman L. Nkuhlu, Chancellor, University of Pretoria, South Africa, as well as presentations on "Promoting Youth Employment in African Agriculture and Agri-business", "Gender in African Agriculture" to be delivered by Dr. Nteranya Sanginga, Director General, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, and Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, the Bank's Special Envoy on Gender, respectively.

During the meeting, President Kaberuka will jointly launch the flagship publication entitled "GM Agricultural Technologies for Africa" together with the Director General of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Dr. Shenggen Fan, and Prof. Aggrey Ambali, Head, Science and Technology Innovation Hub, New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), South Africa.