Grow Africa

Grow Africa was initiated at the World Economic Forum on Africa in May 2011.

History

One month after its founding in May 2011, Grow Africa was endorsed by the NEPAD Summit and presented at the Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union in Equatorial Guinea. The First Grow Africa Investment Forum took place in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania in November 2011. The focus was "how to become investment ready." Seven countries participated.

From January to May 2012, "the initiative will support partner countries in preparing their investment plans and establishing partnership platforms." This was followed by the Second Grow Africa Investment Forum in May 2012. Also in May 2012, Grow Africa was the focus of a panel in the Chicago Council on Global Affairs' 3rd Annual Symposium on Global Agriculture and Food Security in Washington, D.C.

Membership

Task Force Patrons:

• Jakaya Kikwete, President of Tanzania
• Armando Guebuza, President of Mozambique
• Jean Ping, President, African Union Commission
• Rajiv Shah, Administrator, USAID
• Kanayo Nwanze, President, IFAD
• Andrew Mitchell, Secretary of State, DFID

Task Force Members:

• Convening partners: African Union Commission, NEPAD Agency, World Economic Forum
• Private sector partners: Diageo, Equity Bank, Syngenta, Unilever, Yara International
• Development partners, foundations and farmers organizations: AGRA, DFID, IFAD, Southern African Confederation of Agricultural Unions, USAID, World Bank

Contact Information

• Martin Bwalya, Head, Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP)
• NEPAD Agency
• +27 83 461 0089
• Email: bwalyam@nepad.org

• Boaz Blackie Keizire, CAADP Technical Advisor
• African Union Commission
• +251 910 968 076
• Email: keizireB@africa-union.org

• Arne Cartridge, Special Advisor, Global Partnerships for Food Security World Economic Forum
• +41 79 716 1620
• Email: arne.cartridge@weforum.org

Resources and articles

Related Sourcewatch articles

• New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition
• Second Green Revolution
• Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
• Gates Foundation Global Agriculture Grants
• Rockefeller Foundation
• Ford Foundation
• U.S. Agency for International Development
• Norman Borlaug
• World Bank
• Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa
• Chicago Council on Global Affairs
• Robert Paarlberg
• Using Hunger to Promote Genetic Engineering
• Monsanto's Use of Humanitarian Projects to Open Global Markets to GMOs

External Resources

• Accelerating Investments for Sustainable Growth in African Agriculture, Grow Africa.