President Thabo Mbeki says it is imperative that leaders on the African continent work together with the continent's peasant masses in order to facilitate successful development.

President Mbeki was speaking today at the official opening ceremony of the 23rd session of the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) Africa Regional Conference currently underway in Johannesburg.

Quoting a paper on Africa's Agrarian Transformation, President Mbeki said 80% of the continent's population was rural.

The paper also stated that the peasant population included 70% of those who fall within the category of extremely poor and undernourished.

"When we say we must achieve a better life for all our people, the overwhelming majority of these are the peasant masses.

"Development is about transforming societies, improving the lives of the poor, enabling everyone to have a chance at success and access to health care and education," said the President.

President Mbeki added that the most difficult task facing African leaders was to ensure the actual implementation of decisions.

"This means that we have to work hard and consistently to guarantee the success of the African agrarian revolution.

"We have to ensure that we break with tradition that has marginalised African agriculture and the peasant masses from our domestic, regional and continental transformation processes," he said.

The Conference is an FAO Regional Ministerial level Conference attended by all African UN member states. It provides a platform for Ministers to deliberate on the state of food security, agriculture and rural development on the continent; and to agree to a set of actions in the implementation of the Nepad agriculture sector plan, known as the Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Plan (CAADP). CAADP is aimed at providing relief to Africans through extending the area under sustainable land management and reliable water control systems, improving rural infrastructure, increasing food supply and agricultural research, technology dissemination and adoption.

Delegates at this year's conference will be looking at ways to further improve and implement CAADP. The Conference continues at the Sandton Convention Centre until Friday. –BuaNews.