The AgriBusiness Forum 2009, which took place in Cape Town, South Africa from 14-17 June 2009, boosted a record number of participants, attracting over 400 delegates from 43 countries. As the first AgriBusiness Forum to be hosted on African soil, these numbers are reflective of the growing importance that African agriculture plays in the global marketplace. Throughout the Forum, key political and private sector industry leaders shared their thoughts and experience on how the current underperforming agricultural sector in Africa could unlock its huge potential and raise its level of growth to be a real lifeline to most African economies.
Among the Forum's highlights was the South African Minister of Agriculture, Ms. Tina Joemat Pettersson, who drew attention to the fact that the agricultural sector is the best placed industry to really boost job creation in Africa. She emphasized that each African nation must take an active role in assuming its responsibility to nurture agricultural growth, and she committed Africa to feed its own people.
LAgriBusiness Forum 2009, qui sest déroulé à Cape Town, en Afrique du Sud du 14 au juin 2009, a réuni un nombre record de participants, en attirant plus de 400 délégués provenant de 43 pays. En tant que premier AgriBusiness Forum organisé sur le sol africain, ces chiffres reflètent limportance croissante que joue lagriculture africaine dans léconomie mondialisée. Au long du Forum, les représentants du secteur privé et public présents ont partagé leur visions sur la manière dont le secteur agricole africain pourrait être renforcé et débloquer son potentiel de croissance pour bénéficier aux économies des pays dAfrique.
Parmi les temps forts du Forum, on notera lintervention de Mme Tina Joemat Pettersson, Ministre de lAgriculture de la République sud africaine, qui a attiré lattention sur le fait que le secteur agricole est lindustrie la mieux placée pour booster réellement la création demplois en Afrique. Elle a insisté sur la responsabilité des gouvernements africains à jouer un rôle prépondérant en assumant leur responsabilité de soutenir la croissance agricole, de manière a nourrir tous les Africains.
The main conclusions of the AgriBusiness Forum 2009 which are set to drive the change in Africa's levels of productivity and agricultural growth, included:
1. Creation of partnerships throughout the entire value chain must take place at all levels - from raw material providers to marketplace distributors. These partnerships, whether they be Private to Private or Public to Private, will strengthen the agricultural industry as a whole.
2. Governments must be committed to creating more favorable agricultural policies which will create an enabling environment that allows businesses to be more competitive.
3. Infrastructure development is key to the process of growth. ABSA, one of the Forum's key sponsors, called attention to how investment in infrastructure will jumpstart the market. Delegates were also introduced to a clear example of how Mozambique's Beire corridor will link its port to inland areas where agricultural production takes place. This model will be interesting to follow as it will demonstrate how infrastructure and agriculture are closely tied.
4. Research and Development is greatly needed in agricultural development as biotechnology processes will help to raise production levels higher and improve the value added impact of product quality. The need for R&D will certainly require all parties involved, both the private sector and the government, to take solid measures in educating their stakeholders about the value of R&D and how new approaches and techniques can make a valuable contribution to agricultural growth.
5. Market accessibility will be a key component in the sustainable development of African agricultural and African nations must collectively petition the European Commission to open markets and remove trade barriers that will facilitate the movement of African agricultural goods.
The AgriBusiness Forum is an annual event organized by EMRC. This year's event turned the current food crisis into an opportunity to increase food production and to reverse the decades-long decline in investment in agriculture and secure a sustainable future for African food supplies.
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