19 recording artists. 11 countries. 10 languages. ONE message to African Leaders: Do Agric, It Pays!<\/i><\/p>\n
LAGOS, Nigeria (March 31, 2014)<\/b> \u2013 ONE.org today launched one of the continent\u2019s biggest musical collaborations ever, \u2018Cocoa na Chocolate\u2019, in support of a new campaign to boost investments in agriculture: \u2018Do Agric, It Pays\u2019. <\/i>Nineteen of the top recording artists from across Africa, including D\u2019Banj <\/b>and Femi Kuti<\/b> from Nigeria, DR Congo\u2019s Fally Ipupa<\/b>, Cote d\u2019Ivoire\u2019s Tiken Jah Fakoly<\/b>, Kenya\u2019s Juliani<\/b>, and South Africa\u2019s Judith Sephuma<\/b>, have come together to help rebrand agriculture and tell African youth that their future lies literally beneath their feet\u2014and in their hands.<\/p>\n
The participating artists are<\/i>: A.Y. (Tanzania), Bufallo Souljah (Zimbabwe), Dama Do Bling (Mozambique), D\u2019Banj (Nigeria), Diamond (Tanzania), Dontom (Nigeria), Fally Ipupa (DRC), Femi Kuti (Nigeria), Judith Sephuma (South Africa), Juliani (Kenya), Kunle Ayo (Nigeria), Vusi Nova (South Africa), Liz Ogumbo (Kenya), Nancy G (Swaziland), Omawumi (Nigeria), Rachid Taha (Algeria), Tiken Jah Fakoly (Cote d’Ivoire), Victoria Kimani (Kenya) and Wax Dey (Cameroon).<\/p>\n
These artists are using their voices to inspire young people to join ONE.org, and tell political leaders ahead of the African Union summit in June that the time has come to adopt better agricultural policies that will help tackle youth unemployment, provide better support to small holder farmers, boost productivity, increase value chains, and help lift millions of Africans out of extreme poverty.<\/p>\n
The song is available for download for free at www.ONE.org<\/a> after signing the \u2018Do Agric\u2019 petition that tells African leaders to invest in our farmers, our food, and our futures.<\/p>\n Dr. Sipho S. Moyo<\/b>, ONE.org Africa Executive Director, said:<\/p>\n \u201cThese brilliant artists are role models who connect with African youths. Their voices, in support of African agriculture, are sending a powerful message to the young generation: it\u2019s time for African leaders to scale up public investments in agriculture and ensure policy interventions are targeted to benefit smalholder farmers who provide 80% of the food we eat on the continent.<\/p>\n According to the UN-FAO, agricultural growth is 11 times more effective at reducing poverty than growth in other sectors like mining and utilities. Do Agric is a continent-wide push to appeal to African governments to commit to spending at least 10% of national budgets on effective agriculture investments\u2014a commitment they originally made in Maputo in 2003\u2014and to do so through transparent and accountable budgets. We are indeed proud and greatly privileged to be partnering with such an inspiring group of individuals to spread the message that not only can Africa feed itself, but it can help to feed the world.\u201d<\/p>\n Nigerian music superstar D\u2019banj<\/b> said:<\/p>\n “As African musicians, agriculture is the single most important cause we could champion together and I am proud to say we are doing it with ONE voice. Here in Nigeria alone, while 70% of Nigerians depend on agriculture for their livelihoods, the federal agriculture budget has been trending downwards, and is now at just 1.47%. This is a serious concern, especially because Nigeria spends billions of Naira importing food every year.<\/p>\n Through this song, we are calling on youths to go online and join ONE.org, to get more involved in agriculture, and to ask our governments to step up and improve agricultural investments, so that the youths can have a better chance of succeeding in it.”<\/p>\n These artists are joining ONE.org to show the current generation of young people that not only can agriculture be cool, but it is also a great way to earn a living. But without strong political will and public support for agriculture, African youth will not be able to take advantage of the potential that agriculture presents. ONE.org is partnering with the popular voices of African artists in calling on political leaders, private sector investors and the youth to \u201cdo agric\u201d\u2014 because \u201cit pays\u201d.<\/p>\n About Do Agric:<\/b><\/p>\n The collaboration is part of Do Agric, It Pays, <\/i>a ONE.org campaign, launched on 29 January in Addis Ababa with civil society partners including the Pan African Farmers Association (PAFO), ActionAid International, Acord International, Oxfam AU, East and Southern African Farmers Forum, ROPPA, Southern African Confederation of Agriculture Unions, the Africa Union Commission, Becho Welisho and the Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). \u00a0ONE has alos partnered with several grassroots organizations across the continent including Agricultural Non-State Actors Forum (ANSAF) of Tanzania, East and Southern African Small Scale Farmers (ESAFF), National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANTS), BudgIT, and YPAED.<\/p>\n In 2003, African governments committed to spend 10% of their national budgets on agriculture. To date only 8 countries have consistently kept that promise and as a result, agriculture productivity in Africa is stuck at 1961 levels. To change that, ONE.org launched Do Agric, It Pays<\/i> to pressure African governments to commit to spending at least 10% of national budgets on effective agriculture investments, through transparent and accountable budgets. At the heart of the Do Agric campaign is an effort to push political leaders to adopt better policies that will boost productivity, increase incomes and help lift millions of Africans out of extreme poverty.<\/p>\n For more information on Do Agric, It Pays<\/i>, visit the website: www.one.org\/doagric<\/a>.<\/p>\n NOTES TO EDITORS: For further information, or interview requests, please contact:<\/b><\/p>\n ONE Africa Media Manager, Nde Ndifonka: nde.ndifonka@one.org<\/a> \/ +234 81 00 55 00 76<\/p>\n ONE France Media Manager, Annabel Hervieu: annabel.hervieu@one.org<\/a><\/p>\n About ONE.org<\/b><\/p>\n
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