In contributing this foreword to “Take it to the farmer: The Sasakawa experience in Africa’’, I am conscious of how much is owed to our founders, Dr Norman E Borlaug, former US President Jimmy Carter, and the Japanese philanthropist Ryoichi Sasakawa. “Take it to the farmer” were Dr Borlaug’s last words before he died in 2009. These words epitomize the way we operate today.In recent years, we have evolved from a highly centralized smallholder development organization with a single donor, to a broader-based organization with several partners. In essence, however, we still work alongside farmers in their fields and operate by example and demonstration. Today we talk about the value chain and we strive to strengthen the links in that chain. We recognize the crucial role played by women farmers and the need to incentivize them. We are fully aware of the potential of smallholder farming and the opportunities available to the youth of our continent through employment in agriculture.

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