The CAADP Pillar I Framework

farmers. Nor would it have been possible without massive flows of investment capital to build newirrigation schemes and expand existing ones as well as to fund the provision of other infrastructureand services to rural areas, including research and extension. AWM, then, is an essential part of thepackage of technologies, institutions and policies that underpins increased agricultural output in Asia.Nowadays, there is general consensus among decision makers in African countries and donorpartners that without increased investment in Agricultural Water Development and better watermanagement most of the countries in Africa, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, will not achieve theMillennium Development Goals related to access to water and sanitation, energy and future fooddemand to eradicate hunger. Hence, the MDG targets cannot be reached without large investmentsin Agricultural Water Development.Building the potential for a new Green Revolution approach: Improving the performance of theagricultural sector within Africa requires a new Green Revolution, one that will incorporate the bestelements of technologies from the original Green Revolution (notably improved crop varieties andlivestock breeds) into the more holistic SLWM approach, placing the social and environmentalaspects squarely in the management approaches. This renewed version of the Green Revolutionmust involve a very clear and coherent integration of the environmental and agricultural agenda andsectors. The focus for the new approach should be on intensifying the productive capacity, whilemaintaining the protective functions of healthy ecosystems, with the aim to maximise the range ofgoods and services that can be realised from the sustainable utilisation of the locally availableecosystem resources (climate, soils, water, vegetation, wildlife, etc).Box 9: African Green Revolution initiative:The Alliance for a Green Revolution for Africa (AGRA) is a recently established organisation aiming for a prosperousagricultural system taking into account the economic, social and environmental aspects required to double or triple farmers‘yields. In Africa, use of mineral fertiliser averages only 8 kg per hectare, some 10 percent of the world average. The AbujaDeclaration on Fertiliser for the African Green Revolution 19 called on AU member states to increase the level of usage to anaverage of at least 50 kg per hectare by 2015. To assist in addressing poverty, food security and other related MDGs, it iscritical that any input such as increased fertiliser use is promoted as part of a holistic SLWM approach, rather than a standaloneexercise.Green/organic labels and certifications are predominantly aimed at regulating and facilitating thesale of organic products to consumers. These certification processes have been put in place forfarmers and others involved in food production including seed suppliers, food processors, retailersand restaurants. Requirements vary by country and involve a set of production standards includingavoidance of use of synthetic chemical inputs (e.g. fertilizer, pesticides, antibiotics, food additives,etc) and genetically modified organisms. With a tradition of low input agriculture in Africa, organicagriculture holds great promise 20 , and there are already examples of certified organic and nonorganicagriculture in the region.Box 10: Examples of eco-tourism in AfricaEcotourism in Africa has become big business. Aiming to improve conditions for the environment and people, it hasbecome synonymous with adventure, nature and cultural tours for African vacations. For example, in Kenya,ecotourism has recently prompted a much greater market for the "green labels" among lodges and hotels indicatingtheir responsibility in not degrading the environment but actually working to improve it 21 .The United Nations recognised the importance of the growing ecotourism business some time ago, by declaring2002 as the International Year of Ecotourism. A number of NGOs, however, claim that ecotourism will increasinglyresult in a negative situation for nature conservation and local populations. For the last century wildlife conservationgroups have been pressing for the establishment of national parks in Africa. But while the wildlife-based tourismindustry has grown profitable, local people have not seen similar gains. In a bid to bring the profits from this kind19 Issued at the Africa Fertilizer Summit, African Union Special Summit of the Heads of State and Government – Abuja Nigeria13 June 2006.20 http://orgprints.org/5161/03/parrot-et-al-2006-africa.pdf21 http://allafrica.com/stories/200708071127.html45