PAFO and AGRA sign deal to support African smallholder farmers

Smallholder farmers, especially women and youth in Africa will enjoy increased access to productive resources and structured markets thanks to a cooperation and partnership agreement between Pan-African Farmers Organisation (PAFO) and the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA).

The agreement was signed in early April, at the PAFO headquarters in Kigali (Rwanda), by Mrs Elizabeth Nsimadala, President of PAFO, and Dr Agnes Kalibata, President of AGRA.

“This partnership comes when PAFO is launching its new strategic plan for 2021/2025. We must focus on achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. “It is the right time to build an ecosystem where different players in the agriculture sector need to move together to empower our farmers economically, end hunger, poverty, create gender equality and work around food transformation.” Mrs Nsimadala, PAFO president stated.

Dr Kalibata noted “I applaud the partnership between AGRA and PAFO that brings the two institutions together to support smallholder farmers and producers and contribute to building back better across the continent in the wake of Covid-19. It marks a major step towards building an inclusive, more resilient, and sustainable food system for African smallholder farmers, especially women and youth.”

The agreement will see the capacities of African farmers’ organisations strengthened to provide effective services to smallholder farmers.

AGRA will support the organisations to drive policy advocacy around common areas of interest. This includes bringing together continental, regional, and national level issues connected to goals outlined in the Africa Agriculture Transformation Scorecard and the Malabo Declaration to advocate for specific policy and other investments required to drive growth.

The partnership gives PAFO and AGRA a framework of cooperation capable of facilitating collaboration between the two organisations, on a non-exclusive basis in areas of mutual interest.