A brighter future for agrprenuers

Africa's productivity levels could easily double within five
years and, as Akin Adesina, Nigeria's agriculture minister,
said, it simply does not make any sense that Africa spends
US $35 billion each year on importing food. Africa has more
than enough resources to feed itself and other regions of the
world. And investors - both local and international - are
clearly catching on. They might have profited from food
imports once upon a time, but more and more are now
investing in Africa's agriculture itself.
Our four videos show African agricultural entrepreneurs -
"agropreneurs" - from all over the continent, who have built
businesses in mobile technology , chicken farming ,
aquaculture, and coffee . In the process, they have earned
extra income for their families and generated jobs for
others. Scaling up these and other success stories,
however, will require that amazing entrepreneurs such as
Winnie, Susan, Mark and Omar are given the support they
need, that the numerous obstacles are removed for them,
especially if they are young.
Indeed, to paraphrase our Panel Member, Strive Masiyiwa
(also Chair of AGRA), unlocking Africa's entrepreneurial
talent, especially among the continent's dynamic youth, will
be central to Africa's agricultural sector. This revolution,
when it comes, must benefit smallholder farmers too if it is
to slow Africa's otherwise accelerating inequality.
All over the world, this issue, inequality, is rightly high on
the global political agenda. And agriculture offers solutions
- nutrition, jobs, and fairer growth for the two thirds of
Africans who depend on this sector (including fisheries) for
their livelihoods.
Political leaders carry enormous responsibility in this
respect. Widespread malnutrition represents a terrible
political failure. As our Panel Chair, Mr Annan, repeatedly
noted at the Addis meeting, Africa's political leaders have
repeatedly promised to allocate more funds to their
agricultural sectors. African farmers have heard the
promises but - to paraphrase Mr Annan, also described at
this meeting as "the Father of the Green Revolution" - the
only promises to count are the ones that are kept .
Everybody will win when Africa's agriculture is running at
full speed, because all of us benefit from an Africa that is
prosperous, stable, and fair.