Food and Agriculture Organisation

Part of Oral Answers to Questions — International Development – in the House of Commons at 11:30 am on 11 June 2008.

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Photo of Douglas Alexander Douglas Alexander The Secretary of State for International Development 11:30, 11 June 2008

Of course we want protection and adequate supplies to be provided to those in need of either food or finance for subsistence, but three factors accounted for India's success in its agrarian revolution, to draw once again on that example. The first factor was improved infrastructure, the second was improved irrigation and the third was improved seed technology. That seems to hold powerful lessons for Africa, where there has been a decline rather than a rise in the rate of agricultural productivity in recent years. That is why we have placed such an emphasis on agricultural research for the years ahead.