Events

 

For over four decades, the World Economic Forum’s mission – improving the state of the world – has driven the design and development of the Annual Meeting programme.

 

We live in a fast-paced and interconnected world, where breakthrough technologies, demographic shifts and political transformations have far-reaching societal and economic consequences. More than ever, leaders need to share insights and innovations on how best to navigate the future.

A4I is pleased to announce the launch of our upcoming Montpellier Panel Report ‘No Ordinary Matter: conserving, restoring & enhancing Africa’s soils’ ahead of World Soil Day.

 

Soils are primarily responsible for providing water and nutrients to crops and animals. When unable to provide these services to their full capacity, crops, animals and the farmers who depend on them suffer. The reverse is also true. Restoring, conserving and enhancing soils can improve crop productivity and the resource base on which farmers depend. As a natural resource however, soil is undervalued and neglected both physically and politically. Land degradation now affects an estimated one-third of the earth’s land area and 3.2 billion people. Developing countries and smallholder farmers are affected most severely.

US$15.5 million programme aims to reduce food insecurity and increase incomes for 730,000 smallholder farmers by 2018

 

The Nairobi-based Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa and The MasterCard Foundation today announced a new US$15.5 million programme designed to improve the productivity and incomes of almost 730,000 smallholder farmers in Ghana, Kenya, and Tanzania. The programme will accelerate AGRA’s effort to improve markets, soils, and access to high-yield crop varieties for the smallholder farmers, particularly women.

 

“We welcome this new initiative because it will enable us to deal with the critical challenges facing farmers in accessing finance to buy inputs, invest in post-harvest technologies, and access storage facilities for their crops to help uplift them from poverty,” said Dr. Agnes Kalibata, President of AGRA. “The project will promote access to financial services for smallholders through financial institutions and agriculture value chain actors, especially agro-dealers, aggregators, warehouse operators and farmer based organizations.”