A high-level conference on agriculture transformation in Africa will take place 21-23 October with an aim to discuss and endorse a plan that will build a strong and sustainable agriculture sector in Africa. Maxwell Gomera, Deputy Director, UNEP-WCMC is participating in this event that will be attended by high-level representatives of the World Bank, African Development Bank, and African national governments.

"Whichever way you look at it, agriculture matters," said Maxwell Gomera. "Agriculture accounts for 10-12 per cent of global greenhouse gases, 40 per cent of worldwide employment and 70 per cent of worldwide water withdrawals."

Improving the performance of Africa’s agriculture sector would help transform the prospects of this food-insecure region, providing a pathway out of poverty for millions and improving the quality of life for its population. Despite the challenges it faces, Africa has enormous agriculture potential. On a global scale, Africa has the most underdeveloped arable land which is equivalent to 25 per cent of the world’s fertile land. The opportunities available to Africa are great, and the African Agricultural Transformation Agenda has already identified priority actions that will revolutionize agriculture across Africa.

The purpose of the conference is to prepare a strategic roadmap for agricultural transformation in Africa. If successful, the roadmap has the potential to provide sustainable food security, increase youth employment, alleviate poverty and transform rural areas. The priorities that will be discussed include improving systems that allow farmers to purchase and receive seeds and fertilizer, innovative lending programs so farmers can invest in their farms, education and management guidance to ensure a robust system at all levels of the farm to market chain, policy interventions, and mitigation of the effects of climate change.

Ministers of Finance, Planning, Economy, Agriculture and Rural Development, and Industry and Trade will join business leaders, academia, investment agencies and civil society organizations to address the problems in a collective effort. Participants include H.E. President Macky Sall, President of the Republic of Senegal; Ms Cecilia Akintomide, Secretary General, African Development Bank Group; Dr Jim Yong Kim, President of the World Bank, and Mr Ibrahim Thiaw, UNEP Deputy Executive Director and Assistant Secretary-General of United Nations. Mr Thiaw will moderate a session on 'Climate Smart Agriculture'. With such high-level participation, the commitment to securing Africa’s food for the future is strong and clear.

For more information, visit the African Development Bank Group website