AGRA

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.

Our Story

The African Union Commission (AUC) and the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) signed a Memorandum of understanding aiming establishing a framework of cooperation to advance Agri-Food System Transformation in Africa in line with the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Kampala Declaration and its 10 Year Strategy and Action Plan.

In the margin of the Second Food System Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, H.E Moses Vilakati, Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, at the African Union Commission, and H.E. Alice Ruhweza, the president of AGRA, signed the MOU, on 28 July 2025, on behalf of their respective organisations.

The signing event seeks to bind the two Parties to strengthen efforts and maintain a close and continuous collaboration for the achievement of the intended common agenda towards the implementation of the MOU. The overall goal is pursuing cooperation in the implementation of the Kampala CAADP Strategy and Action Plan (2026-2035) on “Sustainable and Resilient Agri-food Systems for a Healthy and Prosperous Africa.” and its associated Kampala declaration.

Speaking at the signing ceremony Commissioner Vilakati commended AGRA’s valued and trusted partnership with the African Union Commission, particularly in advancing the implementation of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme(CAADP). “Your continued support has been instrumental in shaping our collective progress, especially in building resilient food systems and empowering youth and women.”, he added.

“This MoU comes at a pivotal moment following the adoption of the CAADP Kampala Declaration and its 10-Year Strategy and Action Plan (2026–2035). It reaffirms our mutual commitment to transforming agrifood systems in Africa that is inclusive, climate-smart, and economically empowering.” Furthermore, Commissioner Vilakati expressed his confidence that this renewed agreement will intensify collaboration across several

priority areas, including supporting Member States in policy implementation, promoting inclusive agrifood systems, driving climate-resilient innovations, and advancing joint advocacy for Africa’s priorities.”

On her part, Ms. Ruhweza, stated that “It’s a special moment to be signing the first MoU between AGRA and the African Union, especially as we take stock of the UN Food Systems Summit. Everyone is ready for the transformation we’ve been waiting for. Agriculture must reclaim its place as Africa’s engine for economic growth. We know it’s possible it’s our one trillion-dollar opportunity. We have the youngest continent, we have the natural resources, and we have everything we need to transform.”

“AGRA is ready to deliver, both in the countries we currently operate in and beyond. We are expanding our support to accelerate delivery on the CAADP agenda. With the combined force of political leadership and technical expertise that this partnership brings, we are fully committed to walking this journey together.” – H.E. Hailemariam Dessalegn, AGRA Board Chair and Former Prime Minister Ethiopia.

The MoU signing bind the two parties in the following areas of cooperation among others:

• Strengthening country and regional coordination and accountability mechanisms;
• Promoting inclusive policies that empower youth, and women in the agrifood sector;
• Building resilient agrifood systems through the integration of climate-smart practices, sustainable agriculture techniques, and innovations;
• Establishing and driving continental level advocacy vehicles and platforms to accelerate sector transformation and share best practices emerging from country and regional implementation of CAADP;
• Supporting the development and implementation of joint initiatives aimed at enhancing food security, improving productivity, and fostering climate resilience in Africa’s agrifood systems;
• Strengthening capacity building and knowledge exchange between the Parties to advance the transformation of Africa’s agrifood systems.

AGRA is an African led, not-for-profit organization which promotes an inclusive and sustainable agricultural transformation in Africa to help millions of small-scale farmers towards increased incomes, better livelihoods, and improved food security. It’s vision is to contribute to a food system-inspired inclusive agricultural transformation across Africa, to reduce hunger, improve nutrition, and adapt to climate change.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Molalet Tsedeke | Information and Communications Directorate; AU Commission WhatsApp 0911-630631; Email: molalett@africanunion.org

Mwandwe Chileshe | Lead – External Engagements and Advocacy | AGRA| E-mail: MChileshe@agra.org

Nairobi, Kenya: Tuesday 22^nd 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