Africa's agriculture under scrutiny

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The African continent has the agricultural potential not only to feed itself‚ but to provide food security for millions of people worldwide‚ delegates at an agricultural forum were told this week. But there are challenges ahead.

The Global Forum for Innovations in Agriculture taking place at the Durban Exhibition Centre in Durban is intended to showcase innovations for sustainable agriculture. Ministerial delegations from Rwanda‚ Somalia‚ South Africa‚ and Zambia are in attendance.

Tony Nsanganira‚ the Minister of State in Charge of Agriculture for Rwanda‚ said that the African Union’s vision of an integrated‚ prosperous Africa simply is not possible without complete transformation of Africa’s agricultural landscape.

“While Africa holds 60% of the world’s arable land‚ it is still only contributing just 10% to agriculture globally‚” says Mr Nsanganira. “Innovation is the greatest catalyst of agricultural development and ultimately poverty reduction‚” he said.