AGRA provided 360,000 tons of improved seeds worth 292.2 million USD.
By: Our Staff Writer
Addis Ababa(Ethiopia Today) July10,2023:The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) has officially launched the Ethiopia Country Strategy, pledging to commit at least 20 million USD Ushering in a bid to transform food systems .
Launched on July 6, 2023, the strategy is aligned with Ethiopia’s 10-year agricultural perspective plan and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), With a vision for sustainable agricultural and empowering smallholder farmers, this strategic roadmap will drive transformative change, boost food security, and unlock Ethiopia’s agricultural potential.
In his remarks at the launching event, former Ethiopian Prime Minister and AGRA Chairman Hailemariam Dessalegn said Ethiopia has proven to the rest of Africa that under the right leadership of government, we can reach at desired ambitions to meet the urgent food requirements of our people despite facing challenging global circumstances.
AGRA’s work has catalyzed food transformation in agriculture sector, in the most populous countries like Ethiopia, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Kenya amongst others in the continent, he noted.
“Our work has helped to double crop yields of widely consumed food crops. By aligning with the countries’ priorities, building effective partnerships with the governments, supporting national agricultural transformation agendas, and leveraging on investments from development partners,” AGRA Chairman Hailemariam Dessalegn emphasized.
Ethiopia’s agricultural sector is under threat from the devastating effects of climate change, with drought and floods expected to cause 80 percent of life loss and 70 percent of economic losses in the coming decades, warns the Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA).
“Our new strategy will continue to build on the past work done in AGRA in Ethiopia to drive for scale and sustainability. It is designed to empower and uplift the agricultural sector in Ethiopia, fostering innovation, resilience, and inclusivity. Our overarching vision is to contribute to a food system-inspired inclusive agricultural transformation across Africa, leading to a reduction in hunger, improved nutrition, and adaptation to climate change,” the AGRA chair added.
Under the new strategy, AGRA plans to reach 2.4 million smallholder farmers in Ethiopia through interventions in seed systems, sustainable farming, policy and state capability, and inclusion in the inclusive market and trade. The organization aims to indirectly impact an additional six million farmers through its interventions across target regions and create a minimum of 5,000 jobs for women and youth in the upstream and mid-stream parts of the value chains.
Headquartered in Nairobi,AGRA, is present in 16 African countries, and has already facilitated 42 policy reforms and mobilized USD 1.4 billion in investment into the sector.
