An unprecedented partnership among key players in agricultural development aims to significantly boost food production in Africa’s “breadbasket regions,” link local food production to food needs, and work across Africa’s major agricultural growing areas-or agro-ecological zones-to create opportunities for smallholder farmers. The agreement marks a significant transformation in the way major global agencies work with smallholder farmers to assist them in solving Africa’s... ...Read more »

FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf yesterday appealed to world leaders for US$30 billion a year to re-launch agriculture and avert future threats of conflicts over food. In an impassioned speech at the opening of the Rome Summit, called to de-fuse the current world food crisis, Dr Diouf noted that in 2006 the world spent US$1,200 billion on arms while food wasted in a single country could cost US$100 billion and excess consumption by the world’s obese amounted to US$20 billion. “Against... ...Read more »