Libyan leader Moammer Kadhafi (L) meets Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Sirte, about 600 km (370 miles) east of Tripoli, on the sidelines of the 13th African Union summit of heads of state and government.
Originally uploaded by Pan-African News Wire File Photos
Wed Jul 1, 12:24 pm ET
SIRTE, Libya (AFP) – Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Wednesday promised to help Africa achieve a "green revolution" in agriculture, at the launch of a continental summit in Libya.
Lula, invited to address the opening of the summit officially devoted to helping African farmers, said "South-South" cooperation among developing countries was "like an attack force against the distortions and inequities that persist in the global order."
"We share with Africa similar development challenges: fighting famine and poverty, guaranteeing food security and struggling for social equality," he said.
"I reiterate my government's promise to help African produce its own 'green revolution'," he said, adding that Brazil had shown that small-scale farmers can increase their productivity as well as commercial operations.
"Brazil's experience shows that productivity among small farmers and sustainable food production are essential to eradicate hunger," Lula said.
He also urged more focus on bio-fuels, pointing to his country's success with ethanol, made from sugar cane.
Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi, who is hosting the summit in his hometown of Sirte, called Lula's ideas on biofuels "interesting... as long as that doesn't come at the detriment of food production."
Kadhafi also accepted on behalf of the African Union an invitation by Lula to organise a meeting of African agricultural ministers in Brazil.
Lula was the official guest of the summit. Two other guests, Iran's hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, cancelled at the last minute.
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