Obama's Second Presidential Visit To Africa Draws Attention To Agriculture

President Obama traveled to Africa last week for a three-nation tour, for which one of the primary goals was bringing attention to the continent's agriculture. As Agri-Pulse reports, Obama specifically highlighted both the New Alliance on Food Security and Nutrition and the Feed the Future programs, and their potential to boost Africa's agribusiness.

The New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition was announced at the G8 Summit this year and strives "to help lift 50 million people in sub-Saharan Africa out of poverty in the next 10 years by supporting agricultural development."

Obama's trip included visits to Senegal, South Africa, and Tanzania. As he noted, almost three-quarters of people in Senegal and in Tanzania work in agriculture. Said the president, the programs work to "[create] the basis for the entire continent to get incorporated into world markets in a way that ultimately will benefit not just Africa but also the United States."

The initiatives mentioned invest in smallholder farmers in order to encourage and expand agricultural production through available technologies, as well as trade opportunities.