On September 1, African civil society and faith leaders held a press conference to demand an urgent end to Green Revolution policies whose failures have been laid bare by rising fertilizer prices. The call comes on the eve of the annual Africa Green Revolution Forum, hosted by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). Inorganic fertilizers, the supposed catalyst for Africa’s productivity revolution, have failed to deliver. Journalists heard speakers explain the dependency trap AGRA has put farmers in, a reality captured in a new NGO report on profiteering in the fertilizer industry. Others highlighted the successful efforts to create sustainable alternatives to synthetic fossil-fuel-based fertilizers. They said that now is the time for Africa to reverse course and decrease its dependence on such imported inputs. The alliance’s press release from the event follows.

Our Africa, Our Agriculture

Ahead of the annual African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF), African civil society, faith groups and farmer leaders held a press conference on September 1 calling for an end to the failed Green Revolution.