Why is there Hunger in Africa? A Look at AGRA

In the American imagination, Africa is the continent that cannot feed itself. Whenever international hunger is mentioned on TV, the accompanying images are always of Africans with flies in their eyes. Now, the Gates Foundation wants to fix this with A New Green Revolution for Africa (AGRA). If the vision comes to pass, Africa will be able to feed her citizens once again, with a blend of proprietary technology and good practice. It sounds unimpeachable - a foundation is ready to remedy years of underinvestment in African agriculture,and bring the technology that worked in other parts of the world to bear on African hunger.

But there are holes in this story. Why is there hunger in Africa? Did the first green revolution really succeed? Why has there been underinvestment in African Agriculture? Is the solution GM crops? If we are to permanently eradicate famine in Africa, then we need to understand the history of food and hunger on the continent. AGRA unasks these questions, but this evening of discussion will try to put some of the most important questions back on the table.