Agriculture plays a significant role in Africa, accounting for about 30 per cent of GDP south of the Sahara, as well as a significant proportion of export value. Not surprisingly, in most African countries, 60 per cent or more of employees work in agriculture. Yet this barely scrapes the surface of Africa’s promise. Only 6 per cent of cultivated land is irrigated in Africa, compared with 37 per cent in Asia, for example. Africa also has the largest share of uncultivated land with rain-fed crop potential in the world. In addition, African farmers use substantially less fertilizer per hectare than counterparts in East Asia and the Pacific. Initiated by the African Union, the 2014 Year of Agriculture and Food Security shines a global spotlight on the current role and future potential of agriculture in Africa. It underscores how improved agricultural performance can enhance food security, promote better nutrition, create jobs and strengthen community resilience. And it emphasizes the vital contributions made by small farms, which make up 80 per cent of all farms in sub-Saharan Africa alone.