Moving the Conversation from a Handout to a Handshake
Insights from the Rockefeller Foundation Summit on Innovation Agriculture By Deirdre White
Goodluck Jonathan, the President of Nigeria, stood on the dais in front of a hundred or so of the most influential people in Africa.
“Oil is old news—agriculture should be the new frontier of Nigeria’s growth…The concept that farming is only for rural people, only for poverty alleviation must go…There is no reason that Nigeria should be a net importer of food.” Jonathan’s bold statements were a call to action for all those assembled to transform the concept of farming from an approach to managing poverty to one of wealth creation for Nigeria and for the African continent.
Jonathan was among those who gave opening remarks at this week’s summit, Realizing the Potential of African Agriculture: Catalytic Innovations for Growth, hosted by the Rockefeller Foundation as part of the Foundation’s Centennial Series. I was honored to be invited to participate in a convening of the most creative and innovative minds in African development.
As the CEO of an international development NGO, I have seen the catalytic impact robust development of the agriculture sector can have on a community, with initiatives ranging from capacity building for small-holding farmers, to association development, to nucleus farming, to technology innovations around pricing strategies and market access. CONTINUE READING.
