Montpellier Panel Report 2012

The Montpellier Panel presented their new report ‘Growth with Resilience: Opportunities for African Agriculture’ on Wednesday 21st March at the Department for International Development (DFID), London and on Thursday 22^nd March at the European Commission, Brussels.

The report  aims to inform discussions related to key policy events in 2012 and will look broadly at agriculture’s role in supporting green growth, food and nutrition security, ecosystem services and climate change mitigation and adaptation, among others.

Sir Gordon Conway, Chair of the Montpellier Panel, said:

“Agriculture is back high on the political agenda, as more leaders are recognizing the key role which it can play in addressing many of the world’s most pressing challenges.  Policies and funding now need to better reflect African national and regional priorities, and build resilient agricultural programmes that fulfill the strong growth potential of the sector. The Montpellier Panel work will also suggest more and better ways for translating these discussions into meaningful interventions on the ground.”

The Montpellier Panel consists a group of ten experts from the fields of agriculture, sustainable development, trade, policy, and global development. It first convened at the Global Conference on Agricultural Research for Development (GCARD) in Montpellier in March 2010. 

Their first report “Africa and Europe: Partnerships for Agricultural Development”, highlights African priorities in agriculture and nutrition and makes recommendations for ensuring global food price stability and strengthening partnerships between Europe and Africa.

Montpellier Panel members include:

• Sir Gordon Conway, Professor of International Development, Imperial College London (Chair)
• Lindiwe Majele Sibanda, Chief Executive, Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN)
• Tom Arnold, Chief Executive, Concern Worldwide
• Henri Carsalade, Chair of the ICARDA Board of Trustees and President of Agropolis Foundation
• Louise Fresco, Professor, University of Amsterdam
• Peter Hazell, Visiting Professor, Imperial College London
• Namanga Ngongi, President, Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA)
• Joachim von Braun, Director, ZEF, University of Bonn
• Ramadjita Tabo, Deputy Executive Director, Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA)
• David Radcliffe, Senior Policy Advisor, Directorate-General, Development and Cooperation, European Commission
• Prabhu Pingali, Deputy Director, Agricultural Development, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (Observer)

To request a hard copy or for more information about the report please contact Jo Seed at j.seed@imperial.ac.uk