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.”

“...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.”