Imperial News

Sustainable Intensification: A New Paradigm for African Agriculture

by Jo Seed

The Montpellier Panel is set to launch their latest report at the European Commission in Brussels on 28th May.

On Tuesday 28th May from 2:30pm, the Montpellier Panel will launch their new report 'Sustainable Intensification: A New Paradigm for African Agriculture' at the European Commission, Brussels. The event will be jointly hosted by the Commission and CTA.  

Download the report

Event details 

When
Tuesday 28th May from 2:30-4:30pm

Where
European Commission, Centre Albert Borschette, room 4B, 36, rue Froissart-1049, Brussels, Belgium

Map to venue http://goo.gl/maps/x6SbY

Event Speakers

Chair 1: Jean-Pierre Halkin, Head of Unit, Rural Development, Food Security and Nutrition, Directorate General for Development and Cooperation - EuropeAid, European Commission 

Chair 2: Yemi Akinbamijo, the new Executive Director of FARA

Mr David Radcliffe, Montpellier Panel member and Senior advisor: Agricultural Research for Development, DG Development and Cooperation, European Commission

Mr Tom Arnold, Montpellier Panel member, former CEO of Concern Worldwide and Chair of the Convention of the Irish Constitution

Dr Peter Hazell, Montpellier Panel member and Visiting Professor, Imperial College London

H.E. Frédéric Assomption Korsaga, Ambassador of Burkina Faso

RSVP 

If you would like to attend, please contact Jo Seed (j.seed@imperial.ac.uk) Tel. +44 (0) 207 594 1983. 

Background to the paper

Today, the world is searching for solutions to a series of global challenges unprecedented in their scale and complexity: food insecurity, malnutrition, climate change, rural poverty, environmental protection all among them.

Sub-Saharan Africa is particularly vulnerable, with both supply and demand challenges putting additional pressure on an already fragile food production system.

Over recent years, the term “Sustainable Intensification” – producing more outputs with more efficient use of all inputs on a durable basis, while reducing environmental damage and building resilience, natural capital and the flow of environmental services – has come to take on a highly charged and politicised meaning, becoming synonymous with big, industrial agriculture. As we strive to feed a population expected to reach nine billion by 2050 sustainably, the risk is that we may lose sight of the term’s scientific value and its potential relevance to all types of agricultural systems, including for smallholder farmers in Africa.

The report provides innovative thinking and examples into the way in which the techniques of Sustainable Intensification are being used by smallholder farmers in Africa to address the continent’s food and nutrition crisis.

It begins by examining the process and elements of Intensification itself, before considering how we then ensure that the Intensification is Sustainable, and concludes with practical solutions in action today across the African continent, that underline the positive impacts the framework can produce if scaled up more effectively.

Previous Launches

On Thursday 18th April the report was launched at the Houses of Parliament in London.

Event Speakers

Lord Cameran of Dillington 

Professor Sir Gordon Conway - Montpellier Panel Chair and Principal Investigator of Agriculture for Impact.  

Dr Camilla Toulmin
Deputy Chair, Montpellier Panel and 
Director, International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED)

Dr Peter Hazell
Member, Montpellier Panel and 
Visiting Professor, Imperial College London

Media Coverage

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