African and American leaders forms new partnership to help farmers

The New Alliance for Food Security and
Nutrition now has commitments from private investors
totaling more than $10 billion, U.S. and African officials
announced at the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit August 5.
These new investments are expected to create about
650,000 jobs and reach over 5 million small-holder farmers
in initial New Alliance and Grow Africa countries, the U.S.
Agency for International Development (USAID) said in a
press release. This increase includes commitments from 39
new Africa-based companies and nine companies with
international operations. Nearly half of the now over $10
billion in New Alliance investments represent commitments
from African-based companies, which represent over two-
thirds of companies participating in the New Alliance.
"Africa is on the rise," said USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah.
"Under the leadership of President Obama, we have
pioneered a new model of development that is transforming
agriculture and accelerating Africa's impressive growth and
potential. By harnessing the skills, resources and expertise
of the private sector, we can build on our investments to
power the markets of the future and lift millions of people
out of extreme poverty."
Launched at the 2012 G8 Summit at Camp David with
President Obama, African heads of state, private sector
representatives and others, the New Alliance represents a
shared commitment to partner more closely with the private
sector to accelerate sustained, inclusive agricultural growth
that can reduce poverty. The New Alliance supports the
Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme
(CAADP) and contributes to the goals of the recent Malabo
Declaration to end hunger and halve poverty in Africa by
2025. The U.S. and other G7 nations support African
governments and business leaders in charting this path.
"African leaders have firmly put agriculture at the top of
national development agendas and are prepared to lead the
way on a sure path to development and prosperity for their
people," said African Union Chairwoman Dr. Nkosazana
Dlamini-Zuma. "We will only achieve success by working in
partnership with the global community to mobilize and
strategically channel investments into this critical sector.
The New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition is an
example of how partners are supporting our development
objectives and aligning with CAADP priorities."
Leaders also released the second annual progress report on
the New Alliance.
These developments demonstrate that efforts to sustainably
reduce hunger, poverty and undernutrition, in support of
Africa's own model, leadership and commitments over the
last decade, are taking root, USAID said. Additional
information and updates on the New Alliance are available
on its new website, www.new-alliance.org, also unveiled
August 4.
The United States contributes to the New Alliance through
Feed the Future, its global hunger and food security
initiative. In the last year, Feed the Future has reached
nearly 7 million small-holder farmers and helped to save
12.5 million children from the threat of hunger, poverty and
undernutrition. Since it was formed four years ago, Feed the
Future and complementary efforts have attracted billions of
dollars in investments focused in agriculture, introduced
affordable new technologies aimed at increasing
agricultural production and managing the risks of a
changing climate, and introduced nutrient-packed foods to
millions of mothers and children around the world.