“Tanzania has long known farming is at the centre of our economy,” said Tanzania’s Minister of Agriculture, Food and Cooperatives Christopher Chiza.

“We are pleased to welcome leaders from across the continent and around the world to find new ways to scale the success we’ve seen in our own agricultural breadbasket.”

As the host nation, Tanzania’s recent agricultural growth represents a case study of what is possible. In the Kilombero District of Morogoro, the yields for maize have recently increased for some smallholder farmers from 1.5 to 4.5 tons per hectare; the yields for rice have increased from 2.5 to 6.5 tons per hectare.

“The goal of the government is to transform Tanzania into a middle-income country by 2025, fuelled, in a significant part, by growth in its agricultural sector,” Chiza added.

The forum brings together African Heads of State, ministers, private agribusiness firms, financial institutions, farmers, NGOs, civil society organizations and scientists to discuss and develop concrete investment plans for scaling agricultural development success in Africa.

Following recent discussions at WEF Africa, the G8 and David Cameron’s Hunger Summit, the AGRF will continue to look for ways to unite the power of the public- and private-sectors in the global food security efforts.

“Public- and private-sector leaders are joining forces in unprecedented ways to ensure a more food secure future,” said Yara president and chief executive officer, and co-chair of the forum, Jørgen Ole Haslestad.

“We have seen great success when players come together and invest strategically – we hope to build on new momentum and work together to transform agriculture in Africa.”

The forum will remain focused on unlocking Africa’s agricultural potential by empowering smallholder farmers across the continent. By collaborating with farmer’s organizations, civil society and other partners, the discussion will explore new ways to provide resources, overcome challenges and improve yields for the millions of farmers who are working less than two hectares of land across the continent.

“Smallholder farmers are at the centre of all we do,” said Jane Karuku, president of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA).