Windhoek High-Level Ministerial Declaration on African Agriculture in the 21st Century: Meeting the Challenges, Making a Sustainable Green Revolution, 9-10 February 2009

“13. We further recognize that sustainable green revolution in Africa is needed if hunger, poverty and environmental degradation trends are to be reversed. African agriculture has to be transformed through an enabling environment of policy, institutions, infrastructure and investment in scientific research, technology development and dissemination. Success in agriculture in Africa further requires provision of the latest scientific knowledge and experience in applying techniques of sustainable land, soil and water management. We emphasize that the green revolution need to be tailored to the specificities of the continent’s highly diverse agro-ecological conditions, farming systems and socio-cultural contexts.”

“25. We are determined to achieve sustainability of African economies and their integration into the global market in order to reduce the continent’s heavy dependence on the extraction, harvesting and export of primary commodities with minimal processing and value addition. We are committed to promoting economic diversification, including through expanded production of high-value agricultural products and the development of industries based on the further processing and value addition to primary products. We encourage international investment, technology and know-how transfer to further this process.

26. We note the growing global demand for biofuels which has opened up significant new opportunities and challenges for African food production. We intend to work to develop our biofuels sectors in ways which are consistent with our own food security and with principles of environmental sustainability and social equity.

27. We underscore the importance of securing agricultural land rights, particularly for small-scale farmers, in ensuring that the poor benefit from the modernization of African agriculture and from its growing integration into world markets. We shall continue to encourage the sustainable land management practices aimed at boosting agricultural productivity. We shall also encourage increased exchange of experiences and know – how both within and beyond the continent.”

“...11. We recognize that agriculture plays a crucial role in addressing the needs of a growing global population and is inextricably linked to poverty eradication, especially in African countries where majority of the population depend on it for their livelihood. We reiterate that supporting integrated and sustainable agriculture and rural development is essential to achieving food security and food safety in Africa.

12. We also recognize that African countries have taken a number of measures at the national, sub-regional and regional levels to boost agriculture and rural development, including policy responses aimed at reversing the decline in agriculture and boosting production to achieve food security.”

“16. We recognize that Africa has been severely affected by drought, desertification and land degradation and loss of biodiversity. We further recognize that the key to agricultural revitalization and food security is better and sustainable land management, including reclaiming dry and degraded land to make it propitious to agriculture. This would contribute, inter alia, to offering new economic opportunities for enhanced rural development and improved prospects for sustainable livelihoods for affected rural populations while also improving biodiversity conservation.

17. We acknowledge that desertification which poses serious threats to the achievement of sustainable development and to the eradication of poverty and hunger is a global problem that requires a global response through concerted efforts among all member states and concerned stakeholders”