Former UN chief Kofi Annan announced on Thursday that he will lead a new green organization funded by Microsoft chairman Bill Gates. The goal of this initiative is to improve Africa's food production, with a focus on small-scale farmers. Annan expressed his honor in taking on this important role and emphasized the need to address the challenges faced by millions of farmers in Africa. The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, established with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation, aims to help farmers in Africa increase productivity and income sustainably. The organization, based in Nairobi, Kenya, will work towards fighting poverty and hunger in the region. Annan stated that the organization plans to collaborate with governments and farmers to enhance local and regional agricultural markets, improve irrigation, soil health, and farmer training, as well as support the development of new seed systems that can withstand the harsh African climate. He emphasized that the group will not promote the use of genetically modified seeds, which have been a contentious issue in some African countries, but will focus on enhancing disease resistance in existing seeds on the continent. Annan expressed optimism that by relying on African varieties rather than genetically modified seeds, it may be possible to double or even triple agricultural productivity within the next 10-20 years. He made these remarks at the World Economic Forum for Africa in Cape Town, emphasizing that this vision is not just a dream but one that will be supported by concrete actions. The Alliance expressed its support for the goals outlined in the African Union's Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), which aims for a 6 percent annual increase in food production by 2015. The group plans to implement agricultural reforms similar to those that successfully increased productivity in Asia and Latin America. Throughout his time at the United Nations, Annan frequently highlighted the connection between Africa's struggling agriculture systems and its ongoing issues with hunger and poverty. Within the last five years, the percentage of underweight children in Africa has grown by approximately 12 percent, he noted. Annan, who is from Ghana, concluded his 10-year term as UN secretary-general last year.