Ask European Leaders to Dedicate Extra Funds to African Agriculture

Right now, a brilliant proposal is brewing in the European Commission: give € 1 billion left over from the 2008 budget - lots of it unspent agricultural subsidy money - to African farmers.

This is an exceptional opportunity to give the right money, to the right people, at the right time. Moving the proposal forward, however, may prove difficult. This is where we come in.

European leaders are gathering in Brussels on 15 October. They'll have a full schedule with the financial turmoil, but it's crucial that they also provide momentum to this agriculture proposal. We can help by petitioning French President Sarkozy, who is currently presiding over the European Council, to take the lead in approving the € 1 billion proposal.