A Green Africa

Afrique Verte France has its origin in a mobilisation campaign conducted by Peuples Solidaires – ActionAid France and Terre des Hommes in the early 1980s. In 1985, more than 20,000 signatures were collected during another campaign called Pour une Afrique Verte (for a green Africa). These signatures were handed to then Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Jacques Pelletier on the occasion of a forum. As a result of this action, the Department spoke up for using 10 percent of the food aid budget in order to provide financial assistance to grain growers’ associations in Sub-Saharan Africa, helping to establish a more independent regional economy. In 1990, Afrique Verte was founded by five internationally recognised organisations: Terre des Hommes, Frères des Hommes (brothers of people), Peuples Solidaires – ActionAid France, Association Française des Volontaires du Progrès (French association of volunteers for progress) and Comité Catholique contre la Faim pour le Développement (Catholic committee against hunger and for development). Today, Afrique Verte pursues the following two goals: 1. Improving food security in the Sahel region In the Sahel region, Afrique Verte supports more than 1,000 farmers’ associations in Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali by providing information and education to local farmers, giving them the opportunity to: - deepen their knowledge, particularly in the areas of marketing and the processing of local grain - improve their organisational skills, particularly with the aim of enabling farmers to conduct mobilisation campaigns in order to draw attention to their views on agricultural and political issues. 2. Development education work and mobilisation campaigns in industrialised countries In France, Afrique Verte raises public awareness of the situation in the Sahel region and of food security issues by means of art exhibitions, didactic exhibitions, videos and with the support of entertainers. Afrique Verte keeps attending events organised by our partners and participates in mobilisation campaigns and forums in order to initiate political change.