African faith leaders demand reparations from Gates Foundation for green revolution’s harm
The leaders argue that AGRA's initiatives, despite receiving over a billion dollars in funding, have worsened food security, eroded local seed varieties, degraded soil fertility, and increased dependency on costly inputs, thereby weakening the resilience of smallholder farmers
KAMPALA, August 26, 2024 – African faith leaders, supported by hundreds of civil society and farmer groups, are calling on the Gates Foundation to provide reparations for the significant damage caused by its promotion of industrialised agriculture across Africa, particularly through AGRA [formerly the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa].
The leaders argue that AGRA’s initiatives, despite receiving over a billion dollars in funding, have worsened food security, eroded local seed varieties, degraded soil fertility, and increased dependency on costly inputs, thereby weakening the resilience of smallholder farmers.
“The Green Revolution has not only failed to increase food security in Africa, but has also inflicted deep ecological and social wounds. As faith leaders, we have a responsibility as custodians of the Earth to call out this injustice,” said Gabriel Manyangadze of the Southern African Faith Communities’ Environment Institute [SAFCEI].
The demand for reparations will be formally presented in an open letter ahead of the African Food Systems Summit in Kigali, Rwanda, scheduled from September 2–6, 2024.
A press conference to discuss these issues will be held on Wednesday, August 28, 2024, where African faith leaders and community representatives will share the devastating impact of AGRA’s Green Revolution agenda, particularly highlighting the collapse of Zambia’s food system.
The conference will also showcase new research from AFSA on AGRA’s undue policy influence across Africa, which undermines efforts to promote sustainable, farmer-led agroecological practices.
Speakers at the press conference will include:
- Million Belay – General Coordinator, Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa [AFSA], on AGRA’s Africa-wide efforts to interfere with alternatives to the Green Revolution
- Ferdinand Wafula – Kenyan farmer, Bio Gardening Innovations, on AGRA’s efforts to undermine local agroecology initiatives
- Bishop Takalani Isaac Mufamadi – SAFCEI, on the faith communities’ call for just, ecological stewardship of the land
- Mary Sakala – Zambian farmer, on the urgent food crisis unfolding in Zambia
- Anne Maina [moderator] – Biodiversity and Biosafety Association of Kenya
https://thecooperator.news/us-3bln-committed-to-boost-african-agriculture-and-food-production/
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