The center of African economic progress must be smallholders farmers, says Fadel Ndiame in an interview with ATLANTICO. He is a representative of the African Union, senior advisor to the President and Strategic Partnerships Presidency at AGRA (Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa), an African-led organization that works to invest in the continent’s agriculture.
Fadel says there are many opportunities for Africa’s economy and recalls that after the signing of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement, the continent became the largest market in the world. He believes in the potential of the sector, which concentrates the majority of the population, and says it needs to invest in research and innovation, especially for small farmers.
“Our goal is to make smallholders represent the most important segment of agriculture in Africa and the heart of the progress of our economy,” says Ndiame. He points to the fact that despite having the necessary resources, Africa still imports food. However, he believes in the measures that are already being taken, “The most important progress we can point here is that the African leadership at the continent level has made the decision to prioritize agriculture,” he says.
During the Brazil Africa Forum 2019, Fadel Ndiame participated in the session “Democratization of Agribusiness: Fulfilling the Potential between the Two Regions”, which took place in November in the city of São Paulo.