To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will take steps to assist farmers in Africa to grow crops other than tobacco.

Increasing the productivity of small farmers in growing alternative crops has an important part to play not only in improving food security, but also as a building block for wealth creation. The Department for International Development (DFID) is already supporting such work in a number of African countries.

In the coming months, DFID will be reviewing its aid programmes to determine how we can achieve better value for money for the taxpayer and accelerate growth towards the Millennium Development Goals. Aid spending on agriculture in Africa is being reviewed as part of this process.