AgroPages-$280m partnership to bring inclusive agriculture transformation in Africa-Agricultural news

The 2017 African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) saw the launch of the multi-million dollar Partnership for Inclusive Agricultural Transformation in Africa (PIATA) - an innovative and transformative partnership and financing vehicle to drive inclusive agriculture transformation across Africa.

Together, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) will provide up to $280m to catalyse and sustain inclusive agricultural transformation in at least 11 countries in Africa, which will in turn increase incomes and improve the food security of 30 million smallholder farm households.

Achieving greater impact and value through strategic partnerships

Speaking at the launch, Mamadou Biteye, managing director of the Rockefeller Foundation Africa Regional Office said: "We are pleased to be part of PIATA. We see it as an opportunity to leverage even more from the partners and their huge networks, for greater impact. We are looking forward to deploying the technologies that we have helped develop over the years, together with our shared knowledge and grant support, to work with our esteemed partners."

"Together we hope to catalyse Africa’s pursuit of prosperity through agriculture. PIATA is critical in our ongoing push to build the resilience of farmers and systems that affect them, especially in light of increasing challenges such as climate change, among others.”

Agriculture still the best bet for inclusive economic growth

According to the 2017 Africa Agriculture Status Report, Africa needs an agricultural revolution that is distinct and that links millions of small farms to agribusinesses, creating extended food supply chains, jobs and economic opportunities for large segments of the population. Agriculture is still the best bet for inclusive African economic growth and poverty reduction.

Such a transformation will require greater political, policy, and financing commitments from across the public and private sectors. It will also require new partnership models like PIATA, which is hailed as an outstanding example of how partners can collaborating with African countries' visions and systems to deliver on their own transformation, in line with their national economic development strategies.

Rodger Voorhies, the executive director of the Global Growth and Opportunity Division of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, said: “We’ve seen significant progress when countries recognise the critical importance of agriculture to their economic development and help catalyse agricultural transformation with targeted investments, evidence-based policies, and strong national plans. PIATA is an exciting platform that can help countries take the lead in driving agricultural transformation. Our investment reflects our desire to help countries develop high-quality plans linked to national and continental accountability frameworks.”

Each PIATA partners boasts strong networks of local, private sector and implementers from across the continent, which, through this platform, will benefit from stronger integration of investments and alignment of approaches to boost not only development but business outcomes as well.

Delivering on Africa’s potential requires public and private sector

Delivering on Africa’s potential requires both the public and private sectors to engage in new ways and strengthen collaboration. The role of the private sector and non-state actors in agriculture development and in support of formulation of country agriculture plans is critical for sustainable growth.

This was emphasized by Sean Jones, the senior deputy assistant administrator, Bureau for Food Security, USAID.

“PIATA offers a new way of doing business across the many public and private actors working to ensure food security and economic growth as called for in country-owned visions and the goals laid out in the Malabo Declaration. Agriculture is, at its core, a private sector enterprise and one of the best bets for job creation and inclusive growth when the right policies and investments allow the private sector to flourish."

"This partnership offers an innovative mechanism to unlock this investment and realise many of the targets laid out in the Global Food Security Strategy approved by our Congress.”