Obama’s New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition, announced at the G8 meeting, has pledged a $3.5 billion investment in Africa with the financial backing of some 45 corporations including Monsanto, Syngenta, and PepsiCo. The New Alliance is working to build a network of private seed companies across Africa as part of the attempt at a second green revolution in Africa. However, the input-intensive chemical farming promoted by the New Alliance does not make sense for many smallholder farmers, as it requires them to use their scarce income on costly inputs like fertilizers and pesticides. AW partner Samuel Nderitu is promoting organic farming at his Grow Biointensive Agricultural Center of Kenya (G-BIACK) and but notes that “Here, in Kenya, if you plant anything without chemical fertilizer, if you don’t know anything about organic farming, it can’t grow.” This is why G-BIACK is working to train farmers in organic practices and seed saving.
What Will Obama’s New Alliance Mean For Africa?
Read Jill Richardson’s Blog Post about what the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition could mean for Africa here:
AGRA Watch 