pr020403

Bamako Declaration for a New Green

Revolution in Africa

Paris, 2 April 2003 – African farmers have launched a “Bamako Declaration” calling for a peaceful New Green Revolution in Africa, during the 11th session of the IFAP African Farmers’ Committee held in Mali on March 25th and 26th. “ The peaceful New Green Revolution in African agriculture must be pursued over the coming decade so that the African continent can finally achieve food security on a sustainable basis,” claimed the farmers in the declaration. This Declaration also presents the priorities and measures that must be implemented in order to eliminate hunger and poverty on the Continent.

Agriculture is at the heart of development in Africa. Therefore farmers insist that it be a top priority in the policies and strategies of national governments, development partners, and international financial institutions. Further, agricultural policies must be conceived with a long-term perspective. “The fight against hunger and poverty is the first battle to win in our struggle for a sustainable development in Africa,” said Mr. Sékou Oumar Tall, President of the Chamber of Agriculture in Mali and host of the event, and Chairman of the IFAP Committee on Agriculture in Developing Countries. “We are therefore launching an urgent appeal to our respective governments, agricultural development agencies such as the FAO, IFAD, WFP, the World Bank and to the entire international community, to implement concrete measures aimed at attaining this objective,” urged farmers in the Declaration.

The Conference was opened by the President of the Republic of Mali, H.E. Amadou Toumani Touré, who invited IFAP to contribute to the revitalisation of the rural sector, which concerns 80 per cent of the population of Mali. “Water management is especially critical,” he said. African farmers requested President Touré to be their spokesman to spread the message of the new Green Revolution in Africa to other Heads of State.

The Bamako Declaration builds on recommendations stemming from the 25th session of the Governing Council of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) held in Rome on February 19th and 20th. It is also a response in support of the declarations made by the President of IFAD, the Director General of the World Food Program (WFP), and the UN Secretary General Mr. Kofi Annan. IFAP therefore committed to join in these efforts to eradicate poverty and hunger, as agriculture is at the heart of the solution.

Under the Chairmanship of Hon. Mohamed Idris, President of the Agricultural Cooperative Union of Egypt, and with the participation of the President of IFAP, Jack Wilkinson, the 11th session of the IFAP African Farmers’ Committee also discussed how African farmers should engage with NEPAD, the WTO negotiations, Regional trade agreements, cooperation with international agencies, organising farmers in commodity markets as well as an African farmers’ agenda for science and technology.

Note: The full text of Bamako Declaration is available at http://www.ifap.org/develop/declarationbk.html

IFAP African Farmers’ Committee: The IFAP African Farmer’s Committee serves as a permanent forum where African farmers organisations can meet and work together on a regular basis.

Julie Emond

Communications Coordinator

E-mail: julie.emond@ifap.org

Phone:+33 1 45 26 05 53 Fax: +33 1 48 74 72 12

IFAP is the world farmers’ organisation representing over 500 million farm families grouped in 100 national organisations in 70 countries.

It is a global network in which farmers from industrialised and developing countries exchange concerns and set common priorities.

IFAP advocates farmers’ interests at the international level since 1946 and has General Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.