The Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa

The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) has had time (since 2006) and money (more than a billion dollars and counting) to achieve what it set out to achieve...reduce poverty, increase food production and security to mention a few of its goals. It has failed lamentably to do so yet it seeks another opportunity to push its agenda still? Its chemical fertilizer and hybrid seed heavy agenda has snatched the power out of the hands of the small scale farmers whilst simultaneously degrading their soils. The small scale farmers are not in control of their food systems as the chemicals fertilizers and hybrid seeds cost a lot of money. How is this increase in production costs meant to solve the problems of the farmers and empower them? How many women in comparison to men have benefitted from AGRA? If it has not helped women who are the anchors of the agricultural sector in Africa, how exactly did it intend to improve farmers' lives from the start? AGRA was never about empowering farmers clearly and it must not be given another opportunity to push this pseudo agenda at the expensive of our farmers controlling their food systems. So we must ask the question, who has actually benefited from AGRA since its launch? I will bet my left arm, the chemical fertilizer manufacturers and suppliers have, and of course the patent holders of those hybrid seeds and the suppliers too! You see when a solution marketed as having the interest of local communities at its core actually benefits those same local communities the least, you know you are dealing with a false solution-a pretentious money grab!

We can tip toe around the issue of AGRA, chemical fertilizers, hybrids seeds and GMOs all we want, but if we are being honest with ourselves this is all about one thing and one thing only-the control of food systems! The key funder of AGRA has been the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and it is not by coincidence that a certain billionaire by the name of Mr. Bill Gates now owns the most farmland in the USA! This is all about control of food systems and it has always been about that since AGRA's inception.