AGRA

Dakar, Senegal, Wednesday, September 03, 2025 — This morning, at Africa’s largest gathering on food and agriculture, Africa Food Systems Forum (AFSF) in Dakar, Senegal, AGRA unveiled a powerful package of partnerships designed to unlock private capital, strengthen resilience, and elevate the voices of Africa’s youth.

The announcements come as the Africa Food Systems Report 2025 reveals a continent of progress and paradox: agricultural output has grown faster in Africa than anywhere else in the world at 4.3 percent annually since 2000, yet one in three African children is still stunted.

“Africa cannot afford piecemeal progress,” said Alice Ruhweza, President of AGRA. “We must seize this moment to scale inclusive innovations, attract investment, and put farmers, youth, and small businesses at the center of our food systems.”

Investing in Africa’s “Hidden Middle”

AGRA, in partnership with the Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF), launched Africa100, a catalytic initiative targeting 100 anchor firms across 12 countries. These often-overlooked small and medium sized enterprises, (the “hidden middle”), link farmers to markets, create rural jobs, and drive resilience.

AGRA also announced collaboration with the governments of Ethiopia, Malawi, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, and Tanzania to establish Investible Flagships, which are national pipelines of bankable projects that advance food security, climate resilience, and youth employment.

Transforming Poultry for Nutrition and Jobs

To boost affordable protein and rural livelihoods, AGRA introduced a Poultry Transformation Package, including:

Poultry Feed Innovation Grand Challenge, with AECF and the Southern African Confederation of Agricultural Unions (SACAU), to unlock inclusive, cost-cutting feed solutions across Southern Africa.

Southern Africa Poultry Initiative, culminating in the first Poultry Futures Forum in Zambia in November 2025.

 Elevating Youth and Storytellers

Youth are taking center stage with new initiatives:

• A partnership with Global Citizen, the international advocacy organization, to amplify African youth voices transforming food systems and unlocking resources for agricultural-led growth.
• The Africa Media Fellowship Award, co-created with Farm Radio, nurturing the next generation of storytellers.
• A Farm Radio partnership tapping into 1,300+ stations across seven markets to reach millions of smallholder farmers directly.

“Africa’s young people are not just the future,” added Ruhweza. “They are today’s farmers, innovators, and storytellers, and their voices must shape the global food narrative.”

Linking Nutrition to Markets

In collaboration with African First Ladies and the Rockefeller Foundation, AGRA announced a School Meals Coalition that links smallholder farmers with school feeding programs, ensuring nutritious, locally sourced meals while creating steady markets for farmers.

A Call for Systemic Change

The Africa Food Systems Report 2025 warns that progress remains “real but fragmented” and calls for bold systemic transformation. AGRA’s new initiatives respond with catalytic finance, investible value chains, and platforms for youth and advocacy.

“Our message is clear,” said Ruhweza. “Africa’s food future is not just about producing more; it’s about producing better. By investing in SMEs, empowering youth, and building resilient markets, we are building systems that nourish, employ, and prosper.”

Callout Stats

• 4.3 percent: Africa’s annual agricultural output growth since 2000, the fastest globally.
• 1 in 3: African children under five still stunted.
• USD100B+: Africa’s annual food import bill.
• 1,300: Radio stations mobilized by Farm Radio.
• 100 firms: Targeted by Africa100 to unlock the “hidden middle.”

About AGRA
AGRA works with governments, the private sector, and partners to transform agriculture across Africa. Since 2006, it has supported thousands of SMEs and millions of farmers, strengthening markets, improving seed and input systems, and catalyzing investment.

Media Contact
Communications Office – AGRA
Email: communications@agra.org

By Jonathan Said

In every African market, from Dakar to Dar es Salaam, the sounds and smells of trade tell a story that is bigger than food. They are the pulse of Africa’s economic potential. Every sack of maize, every truck of tomatoes, every carton of processed juice reflects the continent’s most powerful yet underutilized driver of prosperity: its agri-food systems.

Agriculture is not simply about subsistence. It is about the structural transformation of Africa’s economies. It is about jobs in rural industries, incomes for smallholders, the growth of agro-processing, and the creation of dynamic export markets. If Africa is to industrialize and compete globally, it must begin with the sector that already employs the majority of its people and anchors rural livelihoods.

The ongoing Africa Food Systems Forum (AFSF) in Dakar offers a moment to reset this narrative. This is not just a conversation about food shortages or hunger relief. It is a dialogue about how agriculture and food systems can serve as the backbone of development, powering industrialization and creating dignified work for Africa’s youth.

The scale of the opportunity is evident. Africa’s agricultural output has grown at 4.3 percent annually since 2000 — the fastest rate in the world. Yet, as the Africa Food Systems Report 2025 shows, only 12 to 15 percent of agricultural GDP comes from agro-processing, leaving much of the value captured elsewhere. That gap represents billions of dollars in lost jobs, income, and foreign exchange. Closing it is the pathway to transformation.

To seize this opportunity, we must begin with coherence and delivery. For too long, fragmented policies and abrupt shifts in regulation have discouraged investors and left farmers vulnerable. Policy coherence and delivery must come before finance. Governments must anchor agriculture and agro-processing as the backbone of their national development strategies. Meeting the 10 percent budget target agreed under the Maputo, Malabo, and Kampala Declarations is not a bureaucratic box to tick; it is a down payment on Africa’s economic independence.

Finance, while essential, must follow this clarity of vision. The truth is that Africa’s farmers, traders, and processors cannot transform the sector with scraps of credit. Donors and international development partners must step up in ways that crowd in much larger flows from development finance institutions and local investors. Development banks and international partners must be willing to blend their capital, de-risk investment, and support pipelines of bankable projects. Diaspora remittances, pension funds, and sovereign wealth can be channeled into agro-industrial growth, but only if policy and regulatory environments are clear and predictable.

At the same time, infrastructure must be scaled strategically. Less than seven percent of Africa’s cropland is irrigated. Forty percent of food produced in Sub-Saharan Africa is lost before reaching markets because of inadequate storage, poor transport, and unreliable energy. Rural roads remain largely unpaved, and electricity access averages below 30 percent in many rural areas. These are not just agricultural weaknesses; they are constraints on the broader productive economy. Investments in irrigation, logistics corridors, cold storage, and digital connectivity are investments in industrialization itself, because they allow agriculture to supply factories, processors, and exporters at scale.

This transformation must also be inclusive. Africa’s population is the youngest in the world, with nearly 60 percent under the age of 25. Women already form the backbone of food production and trade. Yet both groups remain largely excluded from the commanding heights of agricultural finance, land ownership, and policy decision-making. Unlocking their potential is not a matter of charity; it is a matter of economic necessity. Every youth-led processing venture, every women-run agribusiness, every innovation in digital agriculture is a step toward higher productivity, expanded markets, and jobs with dignity.

The prize is not just to feed Africa. It is to build an economy that exports. This is not about reducing imports, but about increasing the dynamism of Africa’s productive economy to achieve net exports of agricultural and agro-processed products. Already, intra-African agricultural trade accounts for about 43 percent of total exports. With the African Continental Free Trade Area, that share can grow further, stabilizing supply chains, adding value at home, and positioning Africa as a competitive exporter to the world.

The private sector is already stepping up across the continent. From satellite-based credit scoring in Kenya, to renewable-powered irrigation in Senegal, to cocoa processing in Ghana, innovators are showing what is possible. What is required now is for governments and donors to match that entrepreneurial energy with policy coherence, catalytic finance, and infrastructure. The task is to take what works in small pockets and scale it into regional corridors and national industries.

This is not an impossible dream. Ethiopia’s agro-industrial parks, Nigeria’s rice milling industry, and Zambia’s seed system reforms show how policy, investment, and innovation can align to shift entire value chains. Imagine this replicated across Africa’s food baskets — from West Africa’s cassava to East Africa’s horticulture to Southern Africa’s livestock. Each could become a hub of processing, trade, and export, fueling jobs not just on farms but in factories, logistics, and services.

The choice before Africa is stark. A business-as-usual path will keep us dependent on global shocks, leaving millions vulnerable to hunger and poverty. But a path of bold reform and coordinated delivery can build resilience, prosperity, and pride. This is not about aid or relief. It is about mobilizing Africa’s greatest economic asset to drive structural transformation.

Dakar must therefore be more than pledges. It must be the moment when leaders, donors, and development partners commit to pipelines of real projects, real financing, and real delivery. Africa cannot afford fragmented gains any longer. The time is for coherence, scale, and systems-level transformation.

Because this is about more than food. It is about Africa’s rightful place in the global economy. It is about our youth and our women leading industries that feed, employ, and export. It is about prosperity that is shared across rural and urban Africa alike.

We owe it to our farmers and our youth. We owe it to our children.

Said is the Vice President for Technical Expertise at AGRA, an African-led organization focused on putting farmers at the centre of the continent’s growing economy.

By Alice Ruhweza

As the world gathers in Yokohama for the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9), Africa arrives not with empty hands but with a bold promise: to reshape its food systems in ways that secure dignity, prosperity, and resilience for generations to come.

The theme of this year’s forum, “Co-create Innovative Solutions with Africa,” could not be more timely. Our continent’s food systems stand at a crossroads. We can seize this moment to build resilience and unlock transformation, or we can resign ourselves to a future of deepening food insecurity, growing import bills, and missed opportunities. The latest SOFI report shows hunger levels falling globally to 673 million people (one in 12) for the first time since 2019, unfortunately Africa bucks this trend, with 307 million people affected, representing over 20% of our population, or one in five. The choice before us is stark, but so too is the opportunity.

Japan has long been a trusted partner in this journey, and our collaboration already shows what is possible. In 2008, AGRA joined hands with Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and a wide network of African and international partners to launch the Coalition for African Rice Development (CARD). AGRA plays a critical role in hosting CARD and the goal remains simple yet ambitious: to double rice production in Sub-Saharan Africa by 2030.

Why rice? Because for millions of African families, rice is not just another crop. It is the meal that fills the pot at night, the comfort food that binds communities, the difference between children going to bed hungry or nourished. Yet by 2023, Africa’s self-sufficiency in rice had fallen to just 54 percent, forcing us to rely on expensive imports that drain scarce foreign exchange.

Against this backdrop, the progress made by CARD is nothing short of remarkable. In its first decade alone, rice production doubled from 14 million tons in 2008 to 28 million tons in 2018. By 2023, output had climbed further to 36.6 million tons. That is not an abstract statistic. It is food on family tables. It is income in the hands of farmers.

Now CARD has set its sights on 56 million tons by 2030. This target is bold, but it is achievable, and it matters. It means stronger rural economies, greater food sovereignty, and more jobs for Africa’s youth. It also means less dependence on imports, insulating our continent from the shocks of volatile global markets.

As CARD prepares for its 10th General Meeting in Madagascar this October, we are sharpening our focus on regional leadership and mobilizing resources from both development partners and the private sector. Japan has shown the way, not only with rhetoric but with real action. Just days ago, JICA issued a $155 million bond to spur new investments in Africa’s agriculture. That is partnership made tangible.

But rice is only part of the story. Across the continent, a wave of innovation is redefining African agriculture. Young entrepreneurs are building digital platforms that connect farmers to markets, while agri-tech start-ups are devising tools to boost productivity and efficiency. With support for 11 youth-led companies, AGRA is demonstrating how innovation can create jobs, fuel entrepreneurship, and give young Africans a stake in feeding their continent.

We are also tackling the twin threats of climate change and malnutrition head on. With the support of the Green Climate Fund, AGRA is working with governments to promote soil health, regenerative agriculture, and nutrition-sensitive farming. These practices are not just environmentally sound, they are essential for protecting Africa’s future and ensuring that progress in agriculture also means progress in human health.

At TICAD 9, we are not only here to share what Africa is doing. We are here to call for greater collaboration and to deepen partnerships. We want to see more Japanese companies bring their world-class technologies in agri-tech, irrigation, and biofuels to African markets. We want to see more concessional financing and innovative blended finance models that allow smallholder farmers and agricultural SMEs to thrive. And we want to reinforce our alignment with African priorities, from the Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) commitments to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), so that every step forward strengthens the continent’s own frameworks.

Africa’s challenges are undeniable. But so too are its possibilities. With Japan’s technological expertise and Africa’s vast agricultural potential, we can build a food system that feeds the continent, protects the planet, and powers growth. The only ingredient still in short supply is urgency.

TICAD 9 is a chance to turn ambition into action, to co-create a food-secure and climate-resilient Africa, and to do so now, before the cost of inaction is counted in hunger, instability, and lost opportunity. This year’s TICAD 9 will focus on how Africa and Japan can co-create practical solutions drawing on Africa’s resources and youth potential alongside Japanese innovation, across three urgent priorities: building resilient societies, securing peace and stability, and driving shared economic growth.

The path forward is clear. Let us choose action, and choose to do it now.

Ms. Ruhweza is the President of AGRA, an African-led organization that is focused on putting farmers at the centre of the continent’s growing economy.

By Nana Yaa B. Amoah

Africa stands at a defining moment. The continent has the world’s youngest population, vast arable land and abundant natural resources, yet many families still face food and nutrition insecurity as millions of young people look for work that never comes. This contradiction is alarming but solvable. The answer is to treat agriculture not as a relic or a last resort but as a modern, innovative and rewarding career path for young Africans.

The ongoing Africa Food Systems Forum in 2025 offers a timely platform to reset priorities. Its focus on youth leadership in collaboration, innovation and implementation signals a clear truth. The continent’s future depends on empowering its greatest asset, its young people.

Africa’s population is about 1.2 billion and could double by 2050. More than 400 million people are between 15 and 35, the youngest profile of any region. Yet far too many are unemployed or under employed. Agriculture has the greatest capacity to absorb labour, generate income and spark innovation, but the sector remains unattractive to many. The gap is not opportunity. It is imagination, investment and support.

Youth unemployment has become a failure of imagination. Too often policy is framed around counting jobs rather than unlocking the promise that already sits in our fields, markets and research stations. We must reimagine agriculture as a space of aspiration and impact for young Africans. That shift demands coordinated support from governments, the private sector and development partners to back youth in modern agri-entrepreneurial roles.

Rebranding agriculture as a technology powered enterprise will turn the tide. Across the continent young innovators are building mobile apps that connect farmers to buyers, using drones to monitor crops, applying artificial intelligence to detect pests and creating digital platforms to verify inputs. Farming is becoming digital, data driven and dynamic. Young people are already leading much of this change. But they still face heavy barriers. Land access remains the quiet gatekeeper of opportunity. Legal, financial and customary hurdles keep land out of reach. Without it young people, especially young women, cannot build wealth or invest with confidence. Land reform must be treated as a core youth issue, not only a rural one.

Finance is another hurdle. Many young people lack collateral and formal credit histories. A new wave of digital financial data offers a breakthrough. Mobile money transactions and utility payments can be used to build verifiable records of financial behaviour. Alternative credit scoring then opens the door to loans for inputs, technology and growth. Digital financial inclusion is essential if agriculture is to become a vibrant space for young entrepreneurs.

Education and training often lag behind market needs. Curricula can be outdated. Market access is weak, infrastructure is thin and new technologies are priced out of reach. These challenges feed the myth that farming is only hard work with little reward. To make agriculture a viable career we must remove the obstacles. Reform land tenure. Expand affordable finance. Modernise education and training. Strengthen market linkages. Embed digital tools from production through processing and distribution. Young people should be in front of this innovation wave.

The opportunities run across the value chain. Beyond growing crops or keeping livestock, youth can thrive as agro dealers who supply inputs and offer advice and delivery through digital platforms. More than 40,000 agro dealers already support farmers, reducing distances to inputs and lifting adoption of better technologies, with yield gains reported at up to 40 percent in Nigeria. In seed production, youth work with companies on multiplication, quality control and supply chain management.

As agricultural advisers and extension workers, young professionals train farmers in climate smart practices that raise productivity sustainably. The growing agri-tech sector invites youth to design tools for input verification, market information and farmer training. Youth led small and medium enterprises in processing and value addition create jobs, drive local industry and cut post-harvest losses. Many are building market linkages by brokering deals, running storage and facilitating regional seed trade. Others are advancing regenerative farming and championing drought resistant crops that help communities adapt to a changing climate.

Young people are also shaping policy. They are engaging ministries, regulators and national platforms to push for youth inclusive policies and to monitor delivery, so that decisions reflect the needs of the next generation.

This agenda aligns with the new continental strategy under the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme for 2026 to 2035, which calls for reimagining and reinvesting in food systems. Innovative financing is central. Tax reforms, local government bonds, remittances, pension funds and climate aligned investments can be mobilised. Social and environmental bonds, parametric insurance and debt for nature swaps can back youth led agribusiness and climate resilient models.

Inclusive dialogue will make these ideas real. Ministries of finance, agriculture and social development should work together to streamline support for youth and for women across low- and middle-income countries. Only coordinated effort can build a system that supports young people from farm to market.

Any youth strategy that ignores gender is incomplete. Women form the backbone of agricultural production yet remain underserved. There is no path to unlock Africa’s food potential without gender equity. Secure land rights, tailored finance, modern training and a seat at the table are not only fair. They are essential for sustainable growth. If we do not centre young women, we do not centre Africa’s future.

As Africa confronts food insecurity and youth unemployment, the path forward is clear. Agriculture is the future. It is rich with innovation, powered by technology and full of opportunity. With the right investments, policies and vision, it can become a dynamic engine of economic transformation and social inclusion. Africa’s youth are ready to lead. The question is whether we will give them the chance.

Nana Yaa B. Amoah is the Director for Gender, Youth and Inclusiveness at AGRA, an African led organisation that puts farmers at the centre of the continent’s growing economy.

By Alice Ruhweza and Meetu Kapur

Today the global nutrition sector stands at the intersection of aid cuts, scarce resource allocation, the impacts of climate change, and the rising cost of a healthy diet. These contributing factors are holding back progress to improve nutrition. Across Africa, as nations take steps to improve production, economic gains, food trade, and resilience – a glaring gap remains in the very environments where people make food choices daily, with malnutrition of all forms still persistent.

Why? Our current food systems are still not designed or financed to deliver on nutrition. As leaders prepare to gather at the Africa Food System Forum in Dakar from 31st August-September 5th, we must confront a critical truth: food systems that fail to nourish are failing altogether. Our true measure of progress must shift from producing more to nourishing better.

Despite growing more food, many African households remain nutritionally insecure. A farmer may cultivate a high-yield maize field, yet serve children starch-heavy meals lacking vegetables, fruits, or animal-source foods. School feeding programs may scale up, but often procure from large processors focused on volume, not nutrient diversity. These contradictions expose a misalignment. We are transforming systems for outputs and volumes, not for the outcomes that matter most nutrition and health. Yet, we have proven solutions in food systems innovation, large-scale food fortification, and advancing agriculture that have yet to be scaled to reach their full potential.

Nutrition must be recognized as the central performance benchmark of Africa’s food systems. Yet today, nutritious diets remain out of reach for millions. Over a billion people on the African continent cannot afford a healthy diet. Undernutrition hits the poorest families the hardest, and women and children suffer most. Africa is the only region where stunting has increased significantly this past decade – growing from 61.7 in 2012 to 64.8 million in 2024, a reflection of chronic undernutrition and more than half of women of reproductive age are anemic.

Undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies give rise to child mortality and morbidity, impair cognitive development and schooling outcomes, and reduce lifetime productivity. In sub‑Saharan Africa, undernutrition costs governments and economies up to 3-16 percent of GDP annually, with global productivity losses from malnutrition estimated at USD3 trillion per year, of which a substantial share stems from the continent’s undernourished population.

In many low-income settings, the cost of a healthy diet is unaffordable, with nutrient-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, dairy, and animal-source proteins significantly more expensive than starchy staples or ultra-processed snacks. Estimates show this cost increase is greatest in Africa, demonstrating a 4.41 purchasing power parity (PPP) for a healthy diet per person per day on the continent. In both West and Southern Africa, vegetables and animal-sourced foods account for more than half the cost of a healthy diet, placing a nutritious plate far beyond reach for the majority. Additionally, global shocks have impacted food price inflation, disproportionately burdening low-income countries.

Household dietary diversity surveys reveal what yield data cannot; too few children are receiving the diverse diets they need for healthy growth. In some countries, less than 25 percent of children consume the minimum number of food groups daily. This is a failure of food systems design and a signal that transformation efforts must be judged by whether they deliver nutritious, affordable, accessible diets at scale, for all people.

To correct course, we must mainstream nutrition across all pillars of food systems from production to markets, policy, and procurement. This means investing not only in specific initiatives but integrating proven solutions into existing food systems to reach communities and make an impact. National agricultural plans should include nutrition indicators such as diet quality and food group diversity. School feeding programs and institutional procurement must be redesigned to support smallholder farmers who grow diverse, nutrient-dense foods. Infrastructure development must focus on cold chains and market access for perishable nutritious products. And financing must shift to prioritize and include value chains like pulses, leafy greens, fruits, dairy, and small livestock that deliver the nutrients people need.

Complementary strategies such as large-scale food fortification must also be part of the solution. Adding essential nutrients to staple foods like flours, rice, and edible oils, builds nutrition resilience, especially during times of food insecurity and climate-driven shocks. Fortification bridges dietary gaps in vulnerable populations and strengthens national safety nets against malnutrition by ensuring that people at all income levels have a baseline of vitamin and mineral security built into their diets. It leverages the private sector to deliver a public health benefit in this vastly crowded fiscal space

As the continent stives to mobilize USD100 billion in public and private investments in agrifood systems by 2035 we must not miss this opportunity to integrate nutrition into the business case. For every dollar invested in nutrition, we get USD 23 back. The Gates Foundation is committed to advancing nutrition by integrating evidence-based, high-impact solutions into health, food, and social protection systems to deliver the essential nutrients that people need to live healthy and productive lives, while AGRA is working to improve agricultural innovation and adaptation to ensure resilience that sustainably supports nutrient-rich farming.

Dakar offers an opportunity to elevate this discussion and reorient policies, investments and partnerships to make nutrition the central goal of food systems transformation and sets the stage for collaboration and discussion on how to reshape our food systems by leveraging the demographic dividend to engage the youth population to meet the nutritional needs of our people. Let us track not just yields per hectare, but nutrients per plate by prioritizing nutrition in agricultural and food policies, investing in infrastructure that makes nutrient-rich foods more affordable and accessible, scaling up food fortification into existing systems including school meals and social protection, and supporting smallholder farmers to grow nutritious crops. Together, let’s ensure food systems are built not just to feed but to nourish.

Alice Ruhweza is the President of AGRA and Meetu Kapur is the Director, Nutrition, Global Growth and Opportunity at Gates Foundation

By Hailemariam Dessalegn and C.D. Glin

Africa’s agricultural sector stands at a crossroads. With nearly 70 percent of the continent’s workforce working on farms and agriculture contributing about one-third of GDP, the potential to feed its people and fuel its economies should be within reach. Yet less than 5 percent of commercial credit makes it to the smallholder farmers, youth-led agribusinesses and women entrepreneurs who are pioneering climate-smart practices and digital innovations on the ground. This financing gap of US$ 100 billion is more than a market failure, it is a barrier to prosperity and resilience.

Climate shocks are growing fiercer; supply chains are more unpredictable and global competition more intense. Across rural landscapes—from the highlands of Ethiopia to the plains of Nigeria and the valleys of South Africa—farmers experiment with drought-resistant seeds, regenerative soil practices and mobile platforms to manage risk. They do not wait for permission to innovate, but they do wait for capital. Too often, traditional lenders remain bound by rigid collateral requirements and narrow risk models that overlook the rich social and environmental returns small farms deliver.

This is the reason the recent UN Food Systems Summit +4 in Addis Ababa must be more than a diplomatic milestone. For some, it can mark a turning point from pledges on paper to pipelines of affordable, impact-first capital. This can be an opportunity to consider financing models where concessional public or philanthropic funds support communities, where private investors engage to attain social and environmental benefits, and where resource-constrained farmers can access credit, insurance and technical assistance tailored to their seasons and realities.

Blended finance has already shown its power by strategically pairing public grants or guarantees with commercial capital, unlocking billions in new investment. We’ve seen that channeling funds to women agripreneurs lifts productivity, boosts household food security and spurs economic inclusion. Deal rooms at gatherings like the Africa Food Systems Forum connect youth-led agritech startups with impact investors who value both balance-sheet returns and community transformation. Meanwhile, fintech innovations are expanding micro-credit, insurance and savings products through mobile wallets, driving down transaction costs and reshaping risk assessment for rural users. Unlocking capital is only the first step; translating it into impact requires farmer-led networks and local systems that deliver the tools, knowledge, and support farmers need to act.

Yet isolated triumphs cannot substitute for systemic change. When governments and the private sector unite around shared strategies, finance follows. Ethiopia’s Youth Agripreneur Platforms have galvanized young farmers to form cooperatives, develop processing ventures and secure blended funding aligned with national goals. Nigeria’s Agriculture Investment Plans pair credit guarantees with tax incentives to de-risk lending for agro-SMEs. Rwanda’s digital credit schemes and Ghana’s agricultural development bank underscore the power of country-led coalitions to marshal domestic and international capital for inclusive growth.

PepsiCo and the PepsiCo Foundation bring this partnership ethos to community-based agriculture, collaborating with smallholder associations in Ethiopia, South Africa and Latin America to help strengthen local potato and sunflower industries and provide market access. PepsiCo sees regenerative and inclusive agriculture as essential for a sustainable and resilient food system, benefiting both the planet and people, and seeks out opportunities for investment and collaboration to help achieve these goals. A food systems approach requires the whole of the supply chain, which means it is essential that farmers share in this value and receive both the returns and investment needed to help them be full participants.

Private sector investments should be additive, tied to practically measurable, on-farm improvements and complementary to public support. By aligning investments with national food system pathways and co-financing alongside donors, philanthropic funds and development banks, PepsiCo demonstrates how corporate capital—when guided by local stakeholders and impact-first metrics—can help scale sustainable agribusiness and build climate resilience at the farm level.

Crafting an enabling environment for resilient, productive and inclusive food systems requires regulatory reforms that unlock agri-lending, such as credit guarantees and tax credits. These reforms should be paired with investments in robust data infrastructure that shifts risk evaluation from land-based collateral to climate and agronomic performance; and a rapid scale-up of digital financial services to extend banking, insurance and payment platforms to remote communities. Interoperable systems for climate forecasting, soil health monitoring and credit scoring will help empower lenders to underwrite loans based on transparent performance data, not solely on land titles or formal collateral.

As climate change accelerates and global hunger edges upward, directing capital toward smallholder resilience emerges as one of the highest-impact investments worldwide. PepsiCo’s pep+ agenda— including a recently expanded goal to drive the adoption of regenerative, restorative, or protective agricultural practices across 10 million acres by 2030—illustrates how a food and beverage company dependent on agricultural raw materials can drive transformation by lowering barriers for farmers to adopt climate-smart practices.

Post UNFSS +4, we must convert rhetoric into reality by committing to a pan-African blended finance facility, forging data partnerships among governments, tech providers and financiers, earmarking a defined share of agriculture funding for women-led enterprises, and formalizing public-private coalitions backed by transaction-level guarantees. These pillars of action will help create the financial scaffolding that smallholder innovators need to scale their solutions.

Africa’s fields are sown with ingenuity, perseverance and ambition. What they lack is a financial architecture built for their realities, one that transforms good ideas into thriving enterprises and subsistence into sustainable prosperity. By uniting around innovation, inclusion and community leadership – investors, governments and development partners can cultivate a future that feeds the continent, fuels its economies and empowers generations to come. Let us seize this moment in Addis Ababa to sow the seeds of Africa’s prosperity and watch them flourish.

Hailemariam Dessalegn is the Chair of the Board, AGRA and Former Prime Minister of Ethiopia while C.D. Glin is the President, PepsiCo Foundation and Global Head of Social Impact at PepsiCo Inc.

Dakar, Senegal – September 1, 2025: The Africa Food Systems Forum opened in Dakar today with leaders from across the continent and globe gathering. The afternoon carried with it the launch of the Africa Food Systems Report (AFSR) – formerly the Africa Agriculture Status Report – underscoring the urgency of transforming Africa’s food systems while spotlighting innovations and opportunities for resilience, prosperity, and nourishment for 1.4 billion people.

The 2025 edition of AFSR, themed “Drivers of Change and Innovation in Africa’s Food Systems”, paints a vivid picture of immense potential. It highlights how African farmers, entrepreneurs, scientists, and policymakers are pioneering solutions that can generate jobs, nourish communities, restore ecosystems, and unlock new markets. From climate-smart farming to digital credit platforms, and from resilient infrastructure to regional trade under Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) the report underscores Africa’s capacity to lead a food systems transformation rooted in equity and sustainability.

Yet the report also makes clear that this transformation is urgent. Despite billions of dollars in commitments to agriculture and food systems, hunger and malnutrition remain alarmingly high. In 2023 alone, nearly 300 million Africans were undernourished, more than one in five people on the continent. Without decisive action, Africa is projected to overtake Asia by 2030 as the region with the highest number of undernourished people.

Key Findings

Governance as the Gamechanger: Countries with strong governance and policy coherence consistently show lower hunger and better nutrition outcomes. By contrast, fragile states with weak governance report food insecurity rates above 80 percent. It stresses that good governance is not just an enabler but the foundation of resilient food systems.

Sustainable Farming Under Pressure: African crop yields remain far below global averages. Cereal yields stand at just 1.7 tons per hectare compared to 4.2 tons globally. While Eastern Africa recorded a 30 percent rise in cereal productivity in the last decade, other regions stagnated or expanded farmland at the expense of forests and soil health. Vegetables and oil crops remain underproductive, with worrying signs of “extensification” – (farming more land instead of producing more per hectare).

Climate and Demographics as Drivers: Climate shocks, from droughts to floods, combined with rapid population growth and urbanization, are reshaping African food demand and supply. The report calls for urgent scaling of climate-smart and regenerative farming, integrated soil management, and water efficiency to safeguard Africa’s future.

Finance as the Missing Link: Despite agriculture’s central role in African economies, the sector receives less than 5 percent of commercial bank lending. Public investment averages just USD8 per rural inhabitant. The report urges governments, development partners, and private investors to scale up innovative instruments like blended finance, digital credit, and agricultural insurance to unlock growth and resilience.

Infrastructure as the Backbone: Africa loses up to 30 percent of its food before it reaches markets, largely due to poor roads, weak storage, and inadequate cold chains. Closing the annual infrastructure financing gap of USD67–USD108 billion could halve post-harvest losses and boost farmer incomes by up to 40 percent.

The report argues that the transformation of Africa’s agrifood systems is no longer optional, it is existential. With the African population projected to reach 2.5 billion by 2050, the cost of inaction will be measured not only in hunger but also in economic stagnation, social unrest, and lost opportunities for the continent’s youth.

The 2025 CAADP Kampala Declaration of 2025, endorsed by African Union member states, provides a blueprint for this transformation. It calls for policies that put farmers, especially women and youth, at the center, integrate sustainability and resilience into every step of the value chain, and harness the AfCFTA to unlock intra-African agricultural trade.

Voices from the Report

“The evidence is clear: Africa cannot feed its future with the tools of the past. We must invest not just in seeds and soil, but in governance, finance, and infrastructure that empower farmers as entrepreneurs and innovators,” the report states.

Dr. John Ulimwengu, Lead Author of the 2025 AFSR, added: “This year’s AFSR is more than a call to action — it is a roadmap for systemic transformation. Africa has the vision, capacity, and collective leadership to shift from fragmented progress to integrated, resilient food systems. By aligning investments, strengthening institutions, and leveraging innovation, the continent can build inclusive agrifood systems that deliver decent jobs, healthy diets, and sustainable growth for all”

It adds: “The transformation of Africa’s food systems will define the prosperity, health, and stability of the continent for generations. The choice before us is stark; act boldly now, or risk locking millions into cycles of hunger and poverty.”

About the Report

The Africa Food Systems Report (AFSR) is the continent’s leading annual review of food and agriculture systems. Produced with contributions from African researchers, policymakers, and international partners, it provides evidence, data, and policy pathways to guide Africa’s journey toward resilient, sustainable, and inclusive food systems.

Nairobi, Kenya: Monday 21^st July 2025: AGRA has announced the launch of the Africa Digital Crop Variety Catalogue, a transformative digital platform, developed in partnership with Ministries of Agriculture, the National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS) and National Regulatory Authorities across six (6) countries. The African Digital Crop Variety Catalogue provides the first comprehensive, interactive, and searchable database of released crop varieties for the initial cohort of countries, Ethiopia, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.

AGRA has been working on seed systems for 20 years developing robust seed business and enabling better policies that support advanced seed systems.  AGRA’s impact on Africa’s seed systems is enormous through a significant contribution to the release of 688 crop varieties released and the strengthening of 114 African seed companies.

Together with the empowerment of 38,000 Agro dealers, this is supporting 33 million farmers to access high yielding seed.  “The digital seed catalogue is an important milestone to strengthen the seed market and therefore further scale high yielding and nutrient dense seed access by smallholder farmers,” said Jonathan Said, Vice President, Centre for Technical Expertise, AGRA.

This landmark innovation is developed through CESSA – the Centre of Excellence for Seed Systems in Africa, AGRA’s one-stop platform for advancing seed systems on the continent. CESSA offers an integrated suite of tools, training, data, analysis, and digital solutions aimed at ensuring equitable access to high-quality seed for farmers.

The digital catalogue addresses long-standing challenges in seed system development, particularly the fragmentation, outdatedness, and limited accessibility of national crop variety lists. Despite hundreds of improved crop varieties being developed and released in Africa over the last decade, no single, up-to-date platform existed where governments, National Agricultural Research Institutes, seed companies, and other stakeholders including non-governmental organizations, and farmer organizations could access comprehensive information on available varieties.

“In many African countries, vital data on crop varieties is incomplete, inaccessible, or absent altogether,” said Alice Ruhweza, President of AGRA. “This has hindered farmers from accessing resilient, climate-smart, and nutrient-dense crop varieties. The Africa Digital Crop Variety Catalogue fills this critical gap by offering a centralized and transparent digital resource,” added Ms. Ruhweza.

Anchored by findings of AGRA’s Seed Systems Assessment Tool (SeedSAT), the Seed investment plans and report of the Seed System Performance Index (SSPI)—which is now adopted by the African Union as a continental benchmark—the new platform reflects AGRA’s commitment to actionable, data-driven reforms in Africa’s agricultural transformation.  The digital catalogue is a milestone in the implementation recommendations of the Seed Investment Plan a blue print for advancing seed systems in Africa.

The absence of such a platform has previously hampered compliance, seed quality and certification processes, and investments in seed systems, resulting in low adoption rates and a huge seed gap. Furthermore, the gap in information disproportionately affects women and young people, who often lack the networks and resources to access knowledge and business opportunities in seed systems.

“This platform is not just a digital catalogue – it is a game-changer for seed sector transparency, equity, and growth,” said Dr. Jane Ininda, Interim Director, CESSA at AGRA. “By consolidating variety data from across the continent, we’re enabling smarter investment, research prioritization, and ultimately, improved livelihoods for farmers,” added Dr. Ininda.

With this launch, AGRA calls on governments, seed companies, researchers, and development partners to adopt and contribute to the Africa Digital Crop Variety Catalogue, making it a living tool for Africa’s agricultural resilience and prosperity.

The Africa Digital Crop Variety Catalogue significantly improves agriculture and seed systems across Africa by providing an up-to-date, comprehensive list of officially released crop varieties from multiple countries. Its searchable, user-friendly interface serves breeders, regulators, seed companies, and policymakers, enabling quick access to detailed data that supports commercialisation and better decision-making in variety choices, seed production, selection, and marketing.

The platform promotes inclusivity by engaging both local and national seed stakeholders, strengthening grassroots participation. It also advances gender equity and youth inclusion by improving access to vital agricultural information for underserved groups, addressing past challenges in compliance and certification.

With this launch, AGRA calls on governments, seed companies, researchers, and development partners to adopt and contribute to the Africa Digital Crop Variety Catalogue, making it a living tool for Africa’s agricultural resilience and prosperity.

The catalogue can be accessed via https://varietycatalogues.com

​About AGRA

AGRA is an African-led organisation focused on putting farmers at the centre of our continent’s growing economy. AGRA advances uniquely African solutions to sustainably raise farmers’ productivity and connect them to a growing marketplace. Together with its partners—including researchers, donors, African governments, the private sector, and civil society—AGRA seeks to create an environment where Africa sustainably feeds itself.

For media inquiries, please contact:  Humphrey Chola – HChola@agra.org

JUBA – July 7, 2025: Pan African agricultural development agency AGRA, in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, today launched a US$580,000 program dubbed “Support towards improved seed sector performance and competitiveness in South Sudan” focused on transforming the country’s seed system through a comprehensive national seed system assessment capacity building for seed production & distribution , quality assurance, policy and Legal reforms, and stakeholder engagement.

The funding of this program is through the generous support of the Royal Norwegian Embassy, South Sudan.

Funded by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in South Sudan, the initiative which will be guided by AGRA’s Seed Systems Assessment Tool (SeedSAT*) encompassed within the AGRA Center of Excellence for Seed Systems in Africa (CESSA)* framework marks a pivotal moment in the country’s agricultural transformation journey. The launch event served as both an inception meeting and a platform to socialize the AGRA’s SeedSAT diagnostic tool, which will assess the current state of South Sudan’s seed systems by identifying gaps and designing tailored and targeted recommendations to inform a costed national seed investment plan. AGRA has successfully carried out SeedSAT in 12 SSA countries.

Speaking at the launch event which brought together key stakeholders from government, development agencies, seed companies, and youth groups, Prof. Mathew Gordon Udo, Undersecretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security termed the initiative as “timely and transformative”.

“This project aligns with our national goals to ensure food and nutrition security, create jobs, and empower our youth.”  He said.

AGRA’s Director for Seed Systems, Dr. Jane Ininda, emphasized the importance of coordinated efforts: “Seed systems are the backbone of agricultural transformation. Through SeedSAT, we are not just diagnosing gaps, we are co-creating solutions with national stakeholders to build resilient, inclusive systems that serve farmers better.”

Christianne Nyakato Kivy, Programme Officer Development Cooperation in the Royal Norwegian Embassy, said: “This launch marks a significant step toward building a resilient and competitive seed system in South Sudan. This workshop will unite stakeholders to lay the foundation for a sustainable agricultural future, empowering farmers with the tools they need to thrive”

AGRA’s seed sector development work in South Sudan dates back to 2011. This earlier phase led to the release of 37 resilient crop varieties, training of 12 plant breeders, and support for 10 seed companies producing over 1,700 metric tonnes of seed annually. These efforts laid the foundation for the country’s first commercialization of maize hybrids, significantly boosting yields for smallholder farmers.

The newly launched SeedSAT initiative marks a strategic leap toward transforming South Sudan’s predominantly informal seed system into a formal, self-sustaining ecosystem that reliably serves the needs of its farmers. At the heart of this transition is a multifaceted program designed to strengthen the supply of climate-smart and nutrient-dense crop varieties, thereby improving food and nutrition security across the country.

“Availability and access to high-quality, locally adapted crop seeds are critical to increasing agricultural production and productivity, laying the foundation for improved food security, nutrition, and livelihoods. The Support Towards Improved Seed Sector Performance and Competitiveness in South Sudan initiative aims to empower farmers, their organizations, the private sector, and other key stakeholders to strengthen the seed value chain and drive sustainable growth in the agriculture sector,” said Meshack Malo, FAO South Sudan Country Representative.

The initiative will seek to be inclusive by ensuring stakeholder mapping and alignment, training of thematic leads and consultants on the SeedSAT process, and engagement with the Seed Traders Association of South Sudan (STASS) on strategies for capacity building among breeders, seed companies, and youth groups, with a strong emphasis on commercialization and sustainability.

In parallel, the initiative seeks to enhance overall seed sector performance by fostering competitiveness and institutional support, especially in areas of production, certification, and distribution. Recognizing the critical role of early generation seed (EGS), the program will scale its production and increase the availability of certified seed varieties to meet rising demand of quality seed to the small holder farmers and the market demand

Central to this vision is the commitment to youth empowerment. Through targeted training and integration into seed value chains, the project aims to generate meaningful employment opportunities for young people in agriculture. At the policy level, SeedSAT will support the ongoing review and validation of the Seed and Plant Variety Bill, helping to shape a more enabling regulatory framework for seed sector growth.

To guide these efforts, SeedSAT will deploy a robust diagnostic tool that assesses functionality across eight thematic pillars of a seed system: from breeding, variety release, and maintenance to quality assurance, farmer awareness, market distribution, and the broader policy and planning environment. This comprehensive approach ensures that each intervention directly addresses systemic gaps and contributes to a resilient, inclusive, and future-ready seed sector.

For more information, please contact:

Mwandwe Chileshe: email: MChileshe@agra.org

About AGRA

Established in 2006, AGRA is an African-led and Africa-based institution dedicated to placing smallholder farmers at the core of the continent’s burgeoning economy. AGRA’s mission is to transform agriculture from a mere struggle for survival into a thriving business. In collaboration with its partners, AGRA catalyzes and sustains an inclusive agricultural transformation aimed at increasing incomes and enhancing food security in 11 countries.

SeedSAT is an AGRA initiative for assessing and analysing the current seed system’s functionality in Sub Sahara Africa countries with the aim of identifying the gaps and shortcomings for informed investments to address the identified gaps. SeedSAT aims to sensitize the relevant key stakeholders for each country on how the tool is used for assessment of 8 thematic areas (TAs) in the seed system, and their role in the entire process. In the assessment process, several indicators in each TA are scored and rationale for each score developed. The scores are based on the available literature, evidence material and stakeholder interviews. The final scores, rationales and recommendations are validated at country level by key stakeholders.

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