Global leaders united, in 2000, to establish the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), setting priorities of global proportions to ensure poverty elimination.Eight objectives were established: eradicate extreme poverty and hunger; achieve universal primary education; promote gender equality and empower women; reduce child mortality rates; improve maternal health; combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; ensure environmental sustainability; and develop a global partnership for development.

Since then, there have been significant world events that have reinforced the need to ensure that these goals are met: the global economic meltdown, global food price hikes, renewed famine in the Horn of Africa and a growing world population which shows no sign of abating.

What has become apparent is that agriculture and the means by which it is developed play and will play a critical role in achieving some of the MDGs. Consequently, Africa can be the major contributor of this global vision to guarantee the survival of millions of communities if the right decisions are taken and the effective policies implemented.

The African continent also has its own needs. The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFRIP) highlighted that about 70 percent of the MDGs target groups that live in rural areas, particularly in Asia and Africa and for most of the rural poor, agriculture is a critical component in the successful attainment of the MDGs. Thus, a necessary component in meeting the MDGs by 2015 in many parts of the world is a more productive and profitable agricultural sector.

Doyle Baker, Chief of the Food and Agricultural Organization's (FAO) Rural Infrastructure and Agro-Industries Division, believes that Africa can be the world's larder. "Looking further to the future, as other costs go up and resources become more and more limited in other regions, Africa can – if the right decisions are made now – become a food basket for the world. Large investments and conducive policies are needed but with the right steps leading to a transformation of Africa's Agri-Food sector, the sky is the limit," he told the International Food Policy Research Institute.

From a business point of view, Sai Ramakrishna Karuturi, Managing Director at Karuturi, a world leading floriculture company, which is expanding rapidly into agri-produce in Africa, told the Mail and Guardian that commerce is the way forward for Africa's agricultural sector. "There is huge potential for the agriculture sector in East Africa. The region has 120 million hectares of arable land, the same size of arable land India has."

Ensuring this agricultural heartland is developed to full and sustainable capacity is now the most urgent need and the reality today is that farmers need to be part of the global food network.

According to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), demand in local and regional urban food markets across Africa is expected to jump from $50 billion to $150 billion by 2030, with the potential to generate up to $30 billion from domestic and cross-border markets for small-scale farmers. The UNDP needs to seize this opportunity.

The African continent is home to 53 countries, each with its own agricultural potential and everyone involved in the agricultural value chain must make it their priority to come together.

"We are in the midst of a food crisis, not only in Africa, and production of more food in quantity and quality was never as urgent. It is important that all the players along the value chain work hand in hand to come up with sustainable solutions involving the small farmers and promoting inclusive models," said Caterina Giuliano, EMRC Senior Program Manager.

But for this to happen, Director of Food Security and Sustainable Development (FSSD) of the Economic Commission for Africa, Josue Dione, said earlier this year at a regional strategic food meeting in Addis-Ababa that an effective transformation of agriculture in Africa must first bridge the poor linkages of farmers to input markets and to product markets accompanied with rapid urbanization. "If African agriculture is to contribute to the achievement of the MDGs through broad-based growth, food security, employment and poverty reduction, it would need to transform from the current subsistence system to market-oriented ones," he said.

Governments, international organizations, investors, experts, community leaders and the private sector are at a turning point. They must work as one to really make the word "sustainable" mean something. Sustainable agriculture needs to have everyone involved to ensure continuity.

The writer is Communications Manager of EMRC – an internationally renowned organization providing a platform for Africa's private and public sector to come together - www.emrc.be