Weeding out Ebola in Liberia
An innovative African initiative to strengthen food systems while combating Ebola
NAIROBI, Kenya, December 15, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Thousands
of smallholder farmers in Liberia are set to benefit from an innovative
seed distribution initiative that seeks to combine food security and
Ebola containment strategies in Liberia.
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The
initiative, led by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA)
(http://www.agra.org) in partnership with the government and other
stakeholders, seeks to strengthen the fragile food system by providing
quality seed paired with Ebola prevention messages to farmers – many of
whom cannot access critical inputs, particularly seeds.
“The
50MT of high yielding yellow maize seed donated today will go a long
way in ensuring that smallholder farmers and their families remain food
secure during this difficult period of the Ebola epidemic,” says AGRA
President, Dr. Agnes Kalibata. “We do not want the Ebola epidemic to
spiral into a food crisis.”
“Ebola
has the potential to disrupt our food systems, since it affects the
most productive parts of our economies – much like the HIV pandemic did
in the past. AGRA has built a platform that can help deliver not only
agricultural inputs but health messages and awareness” said Strive
Masiyiwa, Board Chair of AGRA and Chief Executive Officer of Econet
Wireless. “I am excited to see AGRA shoring up support for small-holder
agriculture in Liberia in partnership with the government and private
sector, while combating Ebola,” he added that the AGRA platform is one
of the most effective delivery mechanisms in Africa, led by Africans.
Though
Liberia as a country is largely dependent on agriculture, the sector
has suffered severe setbacks with many of its smallholder farmers unable
to produce at an optimal level. This situation has been worsened by the
negative impact of the Ebola epidemic, where farmers have left their
fields for fear of Ebola. The new initiative by AGRA is targeting
smallholder farmers in four counties, starting in Liberia. The high
yielding maize seed has the potential to increase harvests by a factor
of two to three, mitigating food supply pressure, while Ebola awareness
messages and simple tools like buckets and soaps will provide farmers
the first line of defense against the disease.
AGRA
worked with the governments of Liberia and Ivory Coast, the African
Development Bank and the private sector in Mali in this effort. “AGRA is
grateful to the African Development Bank President, Dr. Donald Kaberuka
and the Ivory Coast government for assisting us to get the seeds across
the border in good time,” said Dr Kalibata.
“With
this support from the Econet Development Foundation, and in response to
the looming food crisis in the country, our Program for African Seed
Systems (PASS) will intensify its work by increasing access to high
quality seed to improve agricultural practice and food availability for
Liberian smallholder farmers, ” says PASS Director, Joe DeVries. “We
will work in partnership with the Ministries of Agriculture and Health,
private seed companies, national farmer organizations and other local
partners to ensure that the support provided gets to the targeted
farmers.”
While
this round of seeds is distributed freely, given the financial
pressures faced by farmers, this initiative is part of the comprehensive
approach that AGRA takes to ensure better food systems by creating seed
companies and training agro-dealers to create the proper market
incentives to ensure long-term economic sustainability.
Through
previous support from the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, PASS has worked
to build a sustainable seed system based on farmer demand for quality
seed. The organization is currently supporting three local seed
companies to produce, multiply, and make quality seeds available to
farmers. PASS has also provided funding to the Central Agriculture
Research Institute (CARI) to research on staples such as rice, cassava,
and maize in order to improve agriculture productivity and has trained
eight Liberian seed specialists at the Kwame Nkrumah University for
Science and Technology, Ghana, all in the bid to ensure smallholder
farmers in the country break away from using low-yielding seeds to
high-yielding ones.
Distributed by APO (African Press Organization) on behalf of Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA).
About AGRA
AGRA
(http://www.agra.org) is a dynamic partnership working across the
African continent to help millions of small-scale farmers and their
families lift themselves out of poverty and hunger. AGRA programs
develop practical solutions to significantly boost farm productivity and
incomes for the poor while safeguarding the environment. AGRA advocates
for policies that support its work across all key aspects of the
African agricultural value chain — from seeds, soil health and water to
markets and agricultural education. AGRA works across sub-Saharan
Africa, and maintains a head office in Nairobi, Kenya and country
offices in Ghana, Mali, Mozambique and Tanzania. AGRA’s Board recently
appointed former Rwanda Minister, Dr. Agnes Kalibata as the
organization’s President. Learn more at www.agra.org.
SOURCE
AGRA
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