H.E. President John Kufuor (Republic of Ghana 2001-2009) managed during the entirety of his two terms as president to improve food security and reduce poverty through public and private sector initiatives. On the occasion of the High-Level Round Table of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources, celebrated in Rio de Janeiro, he gives some examples of how agriculture and development go together and how farmers and governments must collaborate to improve food security. He talks about the important role of the International Treaty and the need for all developing countries to work for its objectives.