Gordon Conway, Chair of the Montpellier Panel and Dr. Namanga Ngongi, Montpellier Panel Member and outgoing President of Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) launched the report in Nairobi on 17th April.

Overcoming Africa’s Food Security Challenges: Does the Continent have the capacity to feed its growing population?

The Montpellier Panel believes that 2012 provides us with the opportunity to influence the global food security agenda and impact future generations. Some of the opportunities the panel feels are critical to focus on this year include the evaluation of the L’Aquila Food Security Initiative (AFSI) as it ends this year; G20 meeting in Mexico; Rio+20; 2^nd year anniversary of Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) initiative; and the Global Conference on Agricultural Research for Development (GCARD).

In light of the above, Sir Gordon Conway, Professor of International Development, Imperial College London and Dr Namanga Ngongi, Montpellier Panellist and outgoing President, Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) particpated in a panel discussion dubbed, “Overcoming Africa’s Food Security Challenges: Does the continent have the capacity to feed its growing population?”

The panel discussion was held on the 17^th April 2012 from 9.00a.m to 12.00 noon in Nairobi, Kenya.

The panel discussed challenges and opportunities facing African agriculture including the frequent droughts in Sub-Sahara Africa and what solutions the various stakeholders can take to resolve the problem. The discussion will be guided by a recently released report by the Montpellier Panel Report titled: Growth with resilience: opportunities in African agriculture.

Programme 

9:00am  Arrival and Networking 

9:30am  Introductions 

9:40am  Remarks by Sir Gordon Conway and Dr Namanga Ngongi 

Reactions by Dr Wilson Songa, Mr James Nyoro

11:30am  Refreshments 

12:00 noon  Meeting ends 

Media Coverage 

• Reuters - Can an African 'green revolution' help feed the world? 
• SPY Ghana - 'Africa can feed itself:” Global agriculture experts outline a path to food security and rural development
• allAfrica - Africa: Experts Seek Agricultural Resilience Strategy for African Countries