Défis agricoles africains

PRESS

Défis agricoles africains

Agence Française de Développement is pleased to invite you to attend a presentation-debate to mark the launch of “Défis agricoles africains”(Africa’s agricultural challenges) published by Karthala (publication scheduled for 20 June)

Monday 7 July 2008 at 9.30 a.m.,

Jacques Alliot Conference Room, AFD (5 rue Roland Barthes 75012 Paris M° Gare de Lyon)

The session will be led by Jean-Michel Debrat, Deputy CEO of AFD, who instigated this publication, and Jean-Claude Devèze, an agro-economist, secretary of Inter-réseaux développement rural who supervised the publication.

Agenda: introduction to the topic, presentation of the book and debate with the public.

« Défis agricoles africains » is the fruit of collaboration between Agence Française de Développement executives, their research partners, associations and African leaders who were willing to give their vision of the future of agriculture and their view on how to promote it. The book focuses on the future of Sub-Saharan agriculture and its role in the development of the sub-continent and shows the importance and complexity of demographic, economic, environmental, social, cultural and political issues. It consequently shows the need to clarify the challenges which must be met in order to take action in an informed manner.

While the issue of feeding the planet has once again become crucial the first challenge for Sub-Saharan agriculture is to produce more and better in order to feed a growing population. The strong natural potential must be developed by using the widest possible scope for progress and taking advantage of the rise in agricultural prices.

While rural populations continue to grow the second challenge is to promote the human capital available which is currently wasted because family farms are not given the possibility to benefit from training, innovation and a favourable social, economic and regulatory environment.

While there is the threat of under-employment, food problems, conflicts, exoduses and desertification the third challenge is to manage to succeed in development and promoting actions in time, space and in the entire economy by implementing coherent agricultural, social and environmental policies and integrated territorial management.

To meet these three challenges and carry out the changes required on farms, land and agriculture sector management, farmers and organization leaders are in the front line. They bear the vision of their farming and rural world which is essential to giving a meaning to transitions in Africa’s rural economies. The book will have achieved its target if it manages to change the way we look at African agriculture, if it gives rise to deep debate and if it manages to promote long-term commitments by all those who must support the promotion of farming families.