Exiled Zim businessman to address G8 leaders

EXILED Zimbabwean businessman, ECONET Wireless founder and chairman Strive Masiyiwa will on Saturday address leaders of the world's eight largest economies on food security in Africa.

The G8 summit, being held at Camp David â€" the US presidential retreat in Maryland â€" started on Friday with global food security expected to take centre stage.

President Barack Obama is hosting the gathering with the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United Kingdom expected to attend.

In a statement ahead of the summit, Masiyiwa, who is the acting chairman of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), said: "AGRA welcomes the continued leadership of President Barack Obama and the G8 members in the search for solutions to food security in Africa.

"The approach being put forward by the G8 is modelled on some of AGRA's on-going work on behalf of Africa's smallholder farmers."

Masiyiwa called for increased support for small-holder farmers to help end hunger on the African continent.

"We are pleased there is now a common consensus on what needs to be done, what smallholder farmers need: supportive policies, better seeds, access to finance and soil inputs, skills development and extension services, national research systems, open markets and infrastructure," he said.

"But we must now redouble our efforts. At (the last summit in Italy) the G8 members stepped up. Now we are asking them to scale up, speed up, and invest up. This is ultimately an opportunity to build the next growth engine of the global economy.

"Millions of African smallholder farmers are poised to become an integral part of that economy, as both producers and consumers.

"AGRA supports an approach that is coordinated globally, but is African-led and focused on smallholder farmers. This approach must be equitable, transparent, accountable, and environmentally sustainable to the satisfaction of all stakeholders."

In October last year, the South Africa-based telecoms entrepreneur donated US$1 million to support AGRA's "breadbasket countries" programme in Ghana, Mali, Mozambique, and Tanzania.

"We are delighted to support this project because we believe that AGRA's approach â€" focusing on a critical mass of investments in high-potential breadbasket areas while employing an integrated approach across the agricultural value-chain â€" is a potential game-changer," Masiyiwa said then.

"As a member of AGRA's Board, I am delighted to make this contribution on behalf of my company because I know that our resources will be put to great use. Our contribution will help catalyze a change process at the grass-roots level, helping thousands of smallholder farmers across Africa."