Kenya to Host Africa’s Newest Agriculture Body

The Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) will have its headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, said the new Chairman of the Board, former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan after a meeting with the country’s President Mwai Kibaki.

Annan said the Alliance will work with African governments, the private sector and development agencies to help break the cycles of hunger and poverty in Africa through a comprehensive set of initiatives that will provide small-scale farmers with the tools and opportunities they need to boost their productivity, increase their incomes, and build better lives.

In addition, Annan  told the press in Nairobi after a fact-finding mission in Kenya that saw him meet face-to-face with small-scale farmers, that the new agricultural initiative will be involved in Africa programs aimed at developing better and more appropriate seeds;  fortifying depleted soils with responsible use of soil nutrients and better management practices; improving access to water and water-use efficiency; improving income opportunities through better agricultural input and output markets;  developing local networks of agricultural education; understanding and sharing the wealth of African farmer knowledge; encouraging government policies that support small-scale farmers; and monitoring and evaluating to ensure that Alliance efforts improve the lives of small-scale farm households and help build a sustainable future for all Africans.

AGRA is an initiative of the Rockefeller Foundation and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The Bill and Melinda Gates foundation has donated $150 million to start off the new initiative.

For more information about AGRA visit http://www.agra-alliance.org.