Statement

Unity, resilience and resolve

With enhanced technical functions, we emphasize climate action, youth, and gender-positive initiatives, seeking innovative, sustainable agricultural solutions

H.E Hailemariam Dessalegn

Former Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Chair of the Board of Directors of AGRA

Dr. Agnes Kalibata

President, AGRA

AGRA, now representing an evolved organization, has transitioned from the 'Green Revolution' to a sustainable transformation of Africa's food systems. In 2022, alongside our partners, including the Partnership for the Inclusive Agriculture Transformation in Africa (PIATA), we strategized for the upcoming five years, emphasizing collaboration. Informed by the UN Food Systems Summit, our priorities encompass holistic, inclusive, and equitable food systems.

With enhanced technical functions, we emphasize climate action, youth, and gender-positive initiatives, seeking innovative, sustainable agricultural solutions. We acknowledge the challenges faced due to climate change, pandemic vulnerabilities, and economic downturns. Thus, we're investing in resilient farming systems and focusing on climate-centric solutions. Despite these strategic shifts, we remained active, partnering to empower Africa's agricultural sector. Our vision for the future centers on thriving farmers and transformative agricultural systems.

Introduction

Current challenges, including the Covid pandemic, geopolitical conflicts, and climate change, emphasize the need for a holistic food systems approach that embraces nutrition, climate resilience, and inclusivity

Over nearly two decades, AGRA has been instrumental in transforming African agriculture. Between 2006-2016, we laid foundational agricultural systems, strengthened leadership, and enriched farmer knowledge. From 2017-2021, we scaled these initiatives, impacting 11 million farmers across Africa by enhancing production, investments, partnerships, and market systems. However, challenges in agricultural finance and output markets limited the transformative potential for many farmers. Current challenges, including the Covid pandemic, geopolitical conflicts, and climate change, emphasize the need for a holistic food systems approach that embraces nutrition, climate resilience, and inclusivity. After wrapping up our second strategy in 2021, 2022 became a 'bridge year', helping us refine our direction based on past experiences. We've collaborated extensively to develop new plans that prioritize partnerships, access to finance, equipment, and markets, and bolster the resilience of smallholder farmers.