Agra, AU convene mega regional agro summit
At least 1 100 participants from about 60 countries have convened in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, for this year’s African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) that starts today up to Friday this week.
AGRF, an annual interactive forum that discusses issues related to African agriculture, emerging challenges in the sector, food storage, use of inputs, and markets among other important subjects
According to Irungu Houghton, the AGRF Senior Advisor, the participants have been drawn from different aspects of the agricultural development continuum that include but not limited to research, policy, and academia.
“So far, it has been confirmed that there will be 46 different sessions addressing different themes that are important to agriculture on the African continent,” he said.
Some of the important issues to be discussed include climate change, with a major focus on adaptation to the phenomenon, the use of climate-smart agriculture to boost agricultural productivity under changing climatic conditions, and how to accelerate strategies for combating climate change.
Land rights and land security, another important issue, which continues to make headlines for all the wrong reasons across the globe, is also expected to dominate the debates.
This year’s event has also attracted different players including those from the transport and energy sectors.
“We are also going to look at issues related to inclusive-agriculture, to ensure that women and youth have access to needed inputs, including credit, and that they are able secure legitimate land title deeds,” said Houghton.
Speaking to a team of science reporters already in Addis Ababa ahead of the dialogue meeting on Monday, Alliance for the Green Revolution of Africa (Agra)’s director of communication Sylvia Mwichuli said the forum presents anyone with a heart for Africa’s agricultural growth to present their views.
Said Mwichuli: “Actually, the AGRF is not a conference. Rather, it’s a conversation; one that the whole world can’t afford to ignore; not now when the global demand for food increasing on daily basis.
“We expect this to be a highly interactive event, where even journalists will be expected to participate and ask questions, not just as journalists, but as individual stakeholders in the future of African agriculture.”
She added that despite the high child mortality rate in Africa, the continent is increasingly becoming younger, with the majority of the population now below the age of 25 years.
“This has important implications for agriculture’s role in creating jobs and livelihoods.” She said.
Some of the outstanding personalities expected to address the forum include John Kufuor, the former president of Ghana; Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the United Nations; Strive Masiyiwa, founder of Econet Wireless and board chairperson for the Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (Agra), among many other respected dignitaries.
