Speakers:
- Karen Brooks, Director, CGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (CRP 2), IFPRI.
- Xinshen Diao, Deputy Director, Development Strategy and Governance Division, IFPRI.
- Jeff Hill, Bureau for Food Security, US Agency for International Development.
Chaired by Ousmane Badiane, Director, Africa West & Central Africa Office, IFPRI.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
12:15 pm – 1:45 pm
IFPRI
2033 K Street NW, Washington DC 20006
USA
**Live webcast**
Agricultural growth is key to reducing poverty in Africa. That is why, in 2003, African heads of state rallied to form the pan-African Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), which works for sustained public spending on agriculture-led growth. This unprecedented political and financial commitment in Africa bodes well for the future of agriculture on the continent. Today, signs point to increasing productivity with much room for growth, as agricultural potential remains largely untapped.
IFPRI’s new book, Strategies and Priorities for African Agriculture: Economywide Perspectives from Country Studies, is a timely analysis for informing African development strategies within the CAADP process. The book includes case studies that focus on agroecological practices, agricultural productivity, and rural poverty in ten low-income countries. For the first time, researchers have used an economywide framework to systematically examine agriculture’s potential to contribute to national growth and poverty reduction, and to evaluate the financial costs of accelerating agricultural growth. Xinshen Diao will present key findings and highlights from the book. Jeff Hill and Karen Brooks will provide commentary, as well as perspectives on the path forward.
To join the discussion during the live webcast, simply Tweet your question (including the hashtag #AskIFPRI) or send it to s.hill-lee@cgiar.org.