Award-winning Kenyan Hip-Hop musician – Juliani, has joined a ONE Campaign calling for African governments to commit to spending at least 10% of national budgets on effective agriculture investments, through transparent and accountable budgets. At the heart of the campaign, called Do Agric, it Pays, is an effort to push political leaders to adopt better policies that will boost productivity, increase incomes and help lift millions of Africans out of extreme poverty.Nigerian singer-songwriter D’banj was on hand for the Do Agric, it Payskick-off event in Addis Ababa yesterday, along with campaign champion Benin President Yayi Boni. Civil society partners at the launch included the Pan African Farmers Association (PAFO), ActionAid International, Acord International, Oxfam and the Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA).
Other notable champions include Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete and Côte d’Ivoirefootballer Yaya Touré, with Touré starring in a new ONE PSA, which debuted yesterday on one.org/doagric.
The launch of Do Agric in Addis Ababa coincided with the 2014 January African Union (AU) summit, where heads of state are gathered to discuss key development challenges across the continent. The AU has declared 2014 the Year of Agriculture in Africa.
“Now is the time to get our leaders to commit to a big push toward implementing effective agricultural policies, scale up public investment in agriculture and catalyze private sector participation in agriculture development,” said ONE Africa Director Dr. Sipho Moyo. “Of the more than 400 million Africans living in extreme poverty, 70% live in rural areas that depend on agriculture. Remarkably, the multiplier effect of agricultural growth in sub-Saharan Africa is estimated to be 11 times greater in reducing poverty than in other non-agriculture sectors such as utilities and mining.[1]”
D’banj said, “There are massive untapped business opportunities in agriculture which could create jobs for millions of Africans on and off the farm. I want Africans to know that farming is not only the foundation of the economy, but also that farming is cool. I believe that, if the needed attention is given to agriculture, we Africans will not only feed ourselves, but also the rest of the world
“While other African leaders have made statements of goodwill, currently only 8 countries have kept their promise to invest 10% of their national budgets in agriculture. It is therefore essential to do more, to go further. Agriculture is not only important, it is also vital. Agriculture pays,” said Yaya Touré.
“As a campaign, Do Agric really resonates with me – I’ve been committed to spreading the gospel about Agribusiness as a real solution to poverty in Africa for some time now”, says Juliani. “In Kenya, where I’m from, we have all the ingredients we need to achieve success in agriculture. Fertile soil, access to water, hardworking farmers – there is really no reason for anyone to go hungry. I’m happy to use my music and profile to spread the word about agriculture in Africa as a real key to poverty alleviation. I challenge African youth to really rethink how they perceive agriculture and get familiar with it’s amazing potential as a business. Do Agric – it Pays!”
About ONE: ONE is a campaigning and advocacy organisation of more than 3.5 million people taking action to end extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa. Strictly nonpartisan, they raise public awareness and press political leaders to combat AIDS and preventable diseases, increase investments in agriculture and nutrition, and demand greater transparency in poverty-fighting programs.
ONE is not a grant-making organization and does not solicit funding from the public or receive government funding. ONE is funded almost entirely by a handful of philanthropists and foundations.
They achieve change through advocacy. The teams in Washington, D.C., London, Johannesburg, Brussels, Berlin, and Paris educate and lobby governments to shape policy solutions that save and improve millions of lives.
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