IFAD Conference in Cape Town Focus on Rural Poverty in Africa

We particularly like the quotes from two participants about empowering young people in African rural communities. A link to the full article is at the bottom of this piece

Agricultural production in Africa can be increased by a factor of 10 to 20,” said Agnes Matilda KalibataMinister of Agriculture and Animal Resources of the Republic of Rwanda. “But to do that we have to educate our banks about supporting smallholders, as well as equipping our rural youth with a better educational system and vocational training.”

Akin Adesina, Vice President of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), emphasized that making smallholder agriculture more profitable is the best way to lift rural people out of poverty and to ensure food security. “We need to focus on value chains with the goal of getting our young people to see agriculture as a good business for them to be in,” he said. “Africa must start using its own resources to make this happen, by connecting banks and microfinance institutions with farmers themselves.”

http://www.ifad.org/media/press/2011/31.htm

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