Without help , Africa will truly dry up life as we know it on the African continent . After years of colonialism and mineral theiving of the riches of Africa there may be a call to help Africa in its waning health as a homeland .

 The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Rockefeller Foundation has united to spur a deep rooted alliance for a "Green Revolution" in Africa and to help move millions of African out of Poverty and hunger.

History was made as the world's richest foundation Gates Foundation, known for its works to reduce inequities and improve lives around the world, especially in the developing world twined with the Rockefeller Foundation, a charity dedicated promoting the well-being of humanity by addressing the root causes of serious problems and aimed at expanding opportunities for poor and vulnerable people and to help ensure that the benefits of globalization are shared more equitably, launch a new development initiative for sub-Saharan Africa with the sole aim to revolutionize food production, hunger reduction and poverty alleviation for tens of millions of people of Africa.

Over the long term, the partnership, tagged "Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa" (AGRA), intends to improve agricultural development in Africa by addressing both farming and relevant economic issues, including soil fertility and irrigation, farmer management practices, and farmer access to markets and financing. Almost three-quarters of Africa’s land area is being farmed without improved inputs such as fertilizer and advanced seeds.

Africa, a home to 16 out of the 18 most undernourished countries of the world, remains the only part of the world where food production has decreased in recent years. At the same time, political instability and conflicts are seen as providing fertile ground for extremists and her underdevelopment. Widespread famine and hunger in Africa has spurred high-profile relief efforts over the years, from United Nations programmes to celebrity fundraising concerts such as Live Aid in the 1980s and Live 8 last year.

The “Green Revolution” for Africa will dramatically increase the productivity of small farms, moving tens of millions of people out of extreme poverty and significantly reducing hunger.

"We've been looking into the causes of extreme poverty and how we might make a contribution to reducing that," said Bill Gates . "If we can work on health and poverty issues concurrently, there is a lot that can be done to improve the quality of life. . . . Today no country of any size has been able to sustain a transition out of poverty without substantially raising productivity in the agricultural sector. It can have a transformative impact." He concludes.

The Africa program will begin with a relatively small Gates contribution of $100 million over five years, plus $50 million from Rockefeller, to fund development of more robust disease- and drought-resistant seeds for primary African foodstuffs, enhanced distribution networks for seed and fertilizer, and university-level training for African crop scientists.

The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa’s first investment of $150 million ($100 million from the Gates Foundation and $50 million from the Rockefeller Foundation) will support the Programme for Africa’s Seed Systems (PASS). This initiative will mount an across-the-board effort to improve the availability and variety of seeds that can produce higher yields in the often harsh conditions of sub-Saharan Africa. Specifically, PASS will help:

1. Develop improved varieties of Africa Crops;
2. Train a new generation of African crop scientists;
3. Ensure improved seeds reach smallholder farmers
4. Develop a network of African Agro-Dealers
5. Monitor, evaluate and manage the programme

Africa's problems as acknowledged by experts today by far outstrip even those confronting Asia in the 1960s as they include a lack of good road networks and irrigation, primary food crops that vary widely from region to region, degraded soil, unstable governments and insecurity.

Although the Gates/Rockefeller programme will be available throughout Africa, The President of Rockefeller Foundation, Judit Rodin said, the partners are still studying which 10 to 20 countries to select for pilot funding. Following the pattern of its health initiatives, Gates will provide money and results-based expertise, building on existing seed development programs begun by Rockefeller and some other African agencies, such as a new strain of rice produced in West Africa that promises to increase yields fivefold.

A concurrent goal is the expansion of seed and fertilizer distribution networks through small entrepreneurs in rural areas. Both partners hope to prime the pump for participation by both African and donor governments.

It would be recalled that the Rockefeller Foundation has already spent more than $600 million on Green Revolution work around the world, including nearly $150 million during the last seven years in Africa.

“For decades, the Rockefeller Foundation has played a crucial role in creating and sustaining highly successful programs that have reduced poverty by improving agricultural research and productivity,” said Melinda Gates. “Together, we share a vision for creating lasting change that will help millions of the most vulnerable people in Africa lift themselves out of extreme poverty. We’re honored to be working with the Rockefeller team to achieve that vision.”

While the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation had been working over the years on global development with focus on reducing poverty and hunger and expanding access to information in the developing world, and had been making investments in the areas of Agricultural Development, Financial Services for the Poor and HIV/AIDS.