“Competition for resources in a changing world: new drive for rural development” was the theme of the 2008 Conference on Tropical and Subtropical Agricultural and Natural Resource Management (Tropentag), held in Hohenheim, Germany from 7 to 9 October. For three days more than 600 international delegates, mainly scientists, took part in presentations and discussions on agriculture and rural development in the tropics.
 
At the end of the three-day event the main message to come out was “Agriculture is back on the agenda” – with three exclamation marks. It is indeed back on the agenda under new circumstances, with new challenges and new opportunities. The new circumstances – such as the bioenergy boom, the growing world population, increasing prosperity in many regions, and climate change – have led to the hunger crisis. Now these new circumstances should be regarded as challenges and transformed into opportunities. So the tenor of the conference was this: the new situation presents fresh opportunities to improve the living conditions of people in rural areas.
 
The “African Green Revolution”, which Kofi Annan fi rst invoked in 2004, was the central theme of many presentations and discussions. Is a green revolution in Africa at all possible? Many experts believe it is. The negotiations regarding a global fund for the African Green Revolution have already begun, reported Dr. Cheryl Palm, Associate Director of the Center on Globalization and Sustainable Development at the Earth Institute, Columbia University. She believes that an African Green Revolution is necessary, but is not enough to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. Clemens Brei singer of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) warned that a green revolution might be more difficult in Africa than in Asia. Whereas in Asia it focussed on one crop, rice, in Africa many different plants would have to be taken into consideration, as food habits vary signifi cantly in the different regions.
 
“Will we be able to feed the world in the future?” asked Professor Georg Cadisch, Head of the Centre for Agriculture in the Tropics and Subtropics at the university of Hohenheim, in his closing address, and answered the question with a resounding “Yes”. How? With the vast, as yet untapped potential, with innovative ideas and with improved, more efficient use of resources. For this more funding will be needed for agricultural science, in Germany as well, he said.

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