Smaller farming operations in Africa need to embrace green technology in order to reduce the level of poverty across the continent by 2015, a U.N. report said.
Per-capita food production in developing countries is on a steady decline.
Agriculture, however, continues to provide the foundation for the African economy.
The 2010 Technology and Innovation Report, a 125-page survey commissioned by the U.N. Conference on Trade and Development, say sub-Saharan Africa is at risk because of "ineffective farming techniques and wasteful post-harvest practices," the U.N. news center reports.
The report says small-scale farming in Africa can make gains by embracing green energy technology like drop irrigation to increase crop yields.
It recommends that African nations push for a "green revolution" that would help small-scale farm operations adjust to climate conditions in the region.
The report also calls for small-scale farmers to play a larger role in policy decisions and for mechanisms to support their role in the
marketplace.
"Small-holder farmers need to be at the center of policy so that agricultural research, development and extension services meet the real needs of small-scale farmers," the report recommends.