Grow Africa and the G8

The Grow Africa partnership, convened jointly by the African Union, NEPAD and the World Economic Forum, works to accelerate sustainable investment in African agriculture to improve food security. Working in collaboration with the G8 to form a new initiative, the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition, 49 companies have committed more than US$ 3 billion in investment in African agriculture to strengthen food security on the continent. A number of global political and business leaders, including President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and heads of state from across Africa, have convened in Washington DC for the 3rd Annual Symposium on Global Agriculture and Food Security on the eve of the 2012 G8 meeting to announce the investment.

Putting the New Vision for Agriculture into Action: A Transformation Is Happening

In order to feed a population of 9 billion in 2050, the world will need a New Vision for Agriculture - delivering food security, environmental sustainability and economic opportunity through agriculture. This will require producing more food with fewer resources while reinvigorating rural economies. It can only be achieved through collaboration, investment and innovation among all stakeholders. This report outlines the concrete actions that can be taken to achieve such a vision, and the tools we can use to measure progress. 

A number of countries are now undertaking ambitious efforts to achieve the New Vision through a transformation of their agriculture sectors, engaging in public-private collaboration and market-based approaches. The report outlines six elements that are essential stepping stones toward success in a large-scale transformation effort. These are illustrated by examples from national initiatives underway in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

The Issue
Over the past three years, food security and economic crises have highlighted both the urgent need and the potential for developing sustainable agricultural systems. Nearly one billion people – one out of six globally – lack access to adequate food and nutrition. By 2050, the global population will surpass 9 billion people, and demand for agricultural products is expected to double. At the same time, the world’s agricultural systems will be increasingly challenged by water scarcity, climate change and volatility, raising the risk of production shortfalls. Substantial gains in agricultural productivity can be realized through investment, innovation, policy and other improvements. However, realizing these gains will require an exceptional level of collaboration among stakeholders in the agricultural value chain, including governments, companies, multilateral and civil-society organizations, farmers, consumers and entrepreneurs. Stakeholder alignment around shared priorities and large-scale initiatives is therefore key to success.

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A New Vision for Agriculture
The New Vision for Agriculture initiative, led by the Consumer Industries Community of the World Economic Forum, works to develop a shared agenda for action and foster multistakeholder collaboration to achieve sustainable agricultural growth through market-based solutions. The initiative has defined a vision that highlights agriculture’s potential as a positive driver of food security, environmental sustainability and economic opportunity worldwide. The group believes that achieving this vision will require the leadership and capacity of all stakeholders – government, business, civil society, academia, farmers and consumers.

Who Is Involved?
The project is led by 28 global partner companies of the World Economic Forum who provide strategic leadership and championship of the initiative. These include: Agco Corporation, Archer Daniels Midland, BASF, Bayer AG, Bunge Limited, Cargill, The Coca-Cola Company, Diageo, DuPont, General Mills, Heineken NV, Kraft Foods, Louis Dreyfus Commodities, Maersk, Metro AG, Monsanto Company, Nestlé, PepsiCo, Rabobank, Royal DSM, SABMiller, Swiss Reinsurance Company Ltd., Syngenta, The Mosaic Company, Teck Resources Limited, Unilever, Vodafone Group, Wal-Mart Stores Inc., and Yara International.

A diverse network of global and local stakeholders are engaged in initiative activities, including governments, international organisations, civil society, farmers organisations, research and academia. The Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Food Security, a high-level multi-stakeholder group, provides advisory and leadership support to the initiative.

Project Activity
The initiative has catalysed six major public-private partnerships to date, including country-level initiatives in Tanzania, Vietnam, Mexico, Indonesia, and India and a regional partnership in sub-Saharan Africa.

The New Vision for Agriculture initiative offers a platform through which stakeholders can create a shared agenda for action on sustainable agricultural development. It engages high-level leaders of industry, government, international institutions and civil society – with support from leading experts – to define joint priorities, recommendations and opportunities for collaboration. Issues addressed by the initiative include:

• Leveraging public and private-sector investment
• Sharing environmental best practices
• Developing agricultural markets, including opportunities for small-scale farmers
• Improving access to affordable and nutritious food

The New Vision for Agriculture Initiative offers a unique and potentially high-impact contribution to the global challenges of food security and sustainable agricultural development. At the global level, the initiative has developed a Roadmap for Stakeholders, a framework outlining priority actions that the private sector can take in collaboration with government, civil society, academia and farmers to achieve the Vision. 

At the country level, the initiative has catalysed public-private partnerships in Tanzania, Vietnam, Indonesia and Mexico – each one engaging between 15-35 companies – as well as a regional task force in Africa. These initiatives engage the private sector in active collaboration with governments, global organizations, farmers and other leading stakeholders to accelerate sustainable agricultural growth within specific regions or food value chains. The partnerships support countries in realizing their agriculture-sector goals by aligning investments, programmes and innovations around shared priorities for agricultural growth. 

For more information on this project, please contact agriculture@weforum.org.