Prof. Calestous Juma - Author of “The New Harvest: Agricultural Innovation in Africa”

“Seventy percent of employment in Africa comes from agriculture, so you can argue that, in Africa, agriculture and economy are synonymous. In effect, you cannot modernize the economy in Africa without starting with agriculture.”

Kofi Annan - Ghanaian diplomat, seventh secretary-general of the United Nations, 2001 Nobel Peace Prize

“We need a Blue Revolution in agriculture that focuses on increasing productivity per unit of water - more crop per drop.”

Tegegnework Gettu - Director of UNDP’s Africa Bureau

“It is a harsh paradox that in a world of food surpluses, hunger and malnutrition remain pervasive on a continent with ample agricultural endowments.”

"Africa has the knowledge, the technology and the means to end hunger and food insecurity. But still missing have been the political will and dedication."

Dr. Ephraim A. Mukisira - Director of the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute

“The road out of poverty is lined with women food producers and sellers."

Helen Clark - UNDP Administrator

“Impressive GDP growth rates in Africa have not translated into the elimination of hunger and malnutrition. Inclusive growth and people-centred approaches to food security are needed."

"Building a food-secure future for all Africans will only be achieved if efforts span the entire development agenda."

Kanayo F. Nwanze - IFAD's President

“Growth in the vast majority of today’s developed countries grew out of strong agricultural foundations, where surplus production generated wealth and prosperity.”

"Smallholder agriculture in particular is key to sustainable growth and equitable wealth generation in the developing world."

Modibo T. Traoré - FAO Assistant Director-General, Agriculture and Consumer Protection Department

"African policymakers need to act now to steer urbanization from its current, unsustainable path towards healthy, “greener” cities that ensure food and nutrition security, decent work and income, and a clean environment for all their citizens."

Michael Pollan - Author, journalist, activist

“Agriculture has done more to reshape the natural world than anything else we humans do, both its landscapes and its fauna and flora. Our eating also constitutes a relationship with dozens of other species - plants, animals and fungi - with which we have co-evolved to the point where our fates are deeply intertwined.”

Stephen Devereux - Research Fellow, Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex

“People may think solution is to grow food. That’s a risk, since self-sufficiency is not the answer ... it’s about distribution of food and making sure markets work better.”

Detlev Puetz - Principal Evaluation Officer, African Development Bank

“Recognize the diversity and heterogeneity of agriculture across the continent. Avoid easy and ideologically biased answers. Acknowledge that agriculture is and will remain a special sector that can neither be fully addressed with neoliberal nor neo-romantic ideologies.”

Enoch Mwani - Teaches agriculture at the University of Nairobi

“Many government policies view pastoralism as a problem and are more preoccupied with changing it or replacing it, instead of striving to put measures in place to make it better."

Friederich A Fallow

“The whole of creation depends upon the soil, which is the ultimate foundation of our existence.”