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Farm researchers and experts to meet in Kigali to assess food security in Great Lakes region

October 19th, 2011

Later this month, farm researchers, development experts and other stakeholders will gather in Kigali for a landmark conference to take stock of agricultural development efforts in Central Africa's breadbasket and chart a path towards food security for the region.

With the highest population density in sub-Saharan Africa, the Great Lakes region includes Burundi, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. Although these are high-potential areas for farm production due to good rainfall and temperatures that allow cropping most of the year, persistent civil conflicts, lack of infrastructure, political instability and poverty have left small farmers struggling to eke out a living. Food security is a major problem in the region, with some areas reporting 30 to 40 percent of families being food insecure.

The Consortium for Improving Agriculture-based Livelihoods in Central Africa (CIALCA) and the CGIAR Research Programme on the Humid Tropics will hold the first international conference to examine the challenges and opportunities for intensifying farm production in sub-Saharan Africa's humid tropical regions.

During the press conference, experts will address a number of questions, including:

How can farm biodiversity contribute to reducing malnutrition while boosting farmer incomes?
Will climate change help or hurt farmers in the region?
Can smallholder farmers compete with large landholders?
How can intercropping coffee and bananas increase farmer income and have positive natural effects on soil health?
What is the best way to boost farm yields without increasing deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions in the already overloaded atmosphere?
Can organic farming reverse the region's low agricultural productivity and meet tomorrow's food needs?
Why is fertilizer so expensive in Central Africa?
Can agricultural production keep pace with the rapid population growth, knowing that much of the highlands have no more fallow land?

More information:
www.cialcaconference.org/

Provided by CIALCA

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