Oct 31, 2024 | Blog

Climate-Resilient Crops are Key to Africa’s Food and Nutrition Security

By Enock Chikava, Director, Agricultural Delivery Systems, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

After the recent 2024 Africa Food Systems Forum in Kigali, one key theme stands out: the need to prioritize food and nutrition security within Africa’s broader climate agenda. This urgency cannot be overstated.

Africa is at the forefront of an escalating climate crisis that is disrupting food systems across the continent. Globally, the last decade has been the hottest on record. For Africa, the effects are already evident. Droughts, floods, mudslides, and storms have become more frequent and severe, and these extreme weather events are crippling the continent’s agricultural productivity, leaving millions vulnerable to hunger and malnutrition.

If current climate trends persist, the consequences for Africa’s agricultural output will be severe. Projections indicate that by 2030, crop yields could drop by nearly 3 percent, with a sharper decline of up to 18 percent by 2050. These declines would put 200 million people at risk of extreme hunger by 2050.

This crisis is made worse by rising temperatures, which affect not just the amount of food smallholder farmers can grow, but also its quality. Higher levels of atmospheric carbon diminish the nutritional value of staple crops, reducing their essential nutrients like zinc, iron, and protein. This double threat—lower production volume and worsening quality—heightens the urgency of focusing on climate-resilient crops that can withstand the pressures of climate change to provide nutritious diets.

The conversations in Kigali brought light to the role of climate-resilient and nutrient-dense crops in addressing these dual challenges. My three major takeaways from the forum highlight the actions required to secure the continent’s future food systems:

  1. Local knowledge is vital for enhancing food security and climate resilience. Africa’s diverse communities possess a wealth of knowledge on food sources, agricultural practices, and climate adaptation strategies. This knowledge needs to be paired with climate-smart innovations that accelerate progress. Combining traditional practices with new innovations, like AI-powered weather prediction services, offers a pathway to improve hunger and nutrition while adapting to changing environmental conditions.
  1. High-nutrient crop varieties tailored to Africa’s needs can transform food systems. Several crop varieties have already been developed to help communities get the nutrients they need. Two standout examples are the orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) and iron-rich beans. OFSP is particularly promising due to its high vitamin A content and drought resistance, allowing it to thrive in some of the continent’s most challenging environments. Similarly, iron-rich beans offer multiple benefits, providing essential nutrients like protein and minerals while being environmentally sustainable. These crops demonstrate the power of innovation to address both nutritional deficits and climate change.
  1. Agricultural policies must prioritize local production and intra-Africa trade.
    Localized production is crucial because it helps diversify food systems, making communities less dependent on imported staples that can be expensive and less nutritious. By investing in local food systems and trade within Africa, smallholder farmers can improve food security, reduce transportation costs, and increase their resilience to climate challenges.

The stakes are high, but so is Africa’s potential to build a more resilient, nutritious, and sustainable food system. What emerged from Kigali was a recognition that the continent has the resources, innovations, and knowledge to solve its nutrition and climate challenges. Yet, success will require concerted efforts from all sectors—governments, philanthropy, private industry, researchers, and communities alike.

| Blog

Rethinking and Regenerating Our Food Systems

The potential of regenerative agriculture to transform food systems was a key theme at this year’s Africa Food Systems Forum. Our partner SNV released a position paper going into the detail of how regenerative agriculture can address urgent challenges like soil degradation, biodiversity loss, and climate resilience.

This repost highlights insights from SNV’s position on regenerative agriculture, focusing on practical, scalable practices for African farmers. For a full breakdown of their recommendations, read the position paper here.

In an era of rapid change, our global agri-food systems face unprecedented challenges. A growing population, particularly in urban centres, alongside the impacts of climate change, shifting consumption patterns, limited natural resources, and increasing human-induced conflicts, necessitate a comprehensive reassessment of how we produce and distribute food.

The need for a paradigm shift

For decades, we focused on only increasing productivity and efficiency through technological advancements such as improved seeds and fertilisers as well as through achieving economies of scale. While this approach was successful in Europe, the USA, and parts of Asia, its effectiveness has been markedly less in Africa. We have seen negative consequences in intensive systems as overuse and wrong use of fertilisers and chemicals resulting in declining soil health, groundwater pollution, and loss of biodiversity. In Africa, low use of external inputs on already degraded soils contributed to further degradation and the expansion of agricultural land at the expense of natural habitats, having a negative impact on biodiversity.

So, what do we need to do differently? We need to work towards a sustainable and resilient agri-food system which can deliver food security and adequate nutrition for people in all their diversity in such a way that the economic, social, and environmental bases are safeguarded for future generations.

A lot of what needs to be done is known: most farmers, scientists, extension services, and private sector know the essentials of what we call Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs). However, in the quest to increase production, to reduce the price of food, to maximise profits, many of these principles are no longer practised. In many contexts, we have lost a focus on maintaining soil health and regenerating soils, on improving biodiversity and ecosystems, on the optimum instead of maximum use of resources and inputs. But new challenges such as climate change also require more drastic innovations such as drought-resistant seeds and sustainable water management and small-scale irrigation. Not to forget addressing reducing food loss and waste.

The recent attention given by policymakers, private sector, development organisations, and donors towards Regenerative Agriculture will accelerate to rethink and change the future development of our Agri Food Systems. However, we don’t need dogmatic and simplistic approaches. What is needed are existing and new GAPs, focus on soil health and high-quality seeds, demonstrating practices using smart combinations of external and locally available and recyclable materials that work in specific contexts and that are scalable and are accessible for many of the small and medium-size farmers.

 

Mobilising collective efforts for change

The health of our planet depends on the health of its ecosystem, and a sustainable Agri-food system is crucial for achieving this goal. We know the direction, and we have the technology, so let’s give this priority. All actors in the agri-food system should get to work!

Aug 30, 2024 | Blog

The role of intra-African trade in Africa’s food systems transformation

Benoit Gnonlonfin

Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS), Global Program Lead, CABI


Intra-African trade in agricultural commodities can transform Africa into a food-secure region, especially as climate change increasingly affects markets. However, without strict food safety guidelines, cross-border trade risks distributing unsafe food.

In 2005, Nigeria benefited from bumper harvests due to favorable weather and effective policies that improved access to farm inputs. In contrast, neighboring Niger faced extreme food shortages due to severe drought and locust invasions, leading to widespread hunger and malnutrition despite the food surplus in Nigeria.

In 2017, regions of Ethiopia had a successful season due to sufficient rainfall that year. However, in South Sudan, a neighbouring country, there was famine exacerbated by severe drought and conflict. Food from Ethiopia could not be supplied due to a lack of infrastructure and political instability.

Improving trade can unlock significant benefits, as highlighted in the 2023 Africa Agriculture Trade Monitor report: “In addition to promoting economic growth through broader market access, trade also has clear potential to improve food security by increasing the availability of and access to food through a variety of channels.”

The report further explains that one of the most important avenues to greater food security is through increased incomes from trade, which boosts consumers’ purchasing power, allowing them to consume more and better-quality and safe food.

In short, increased trade will mean more income for farming communities, creation of jobs, enabling them to purchase whatever they need. It also means there will be a greater variety of food in the market from different quarters, giving consumers a wider range to choose from, thereby improving their nutritional standards.

Boosting trade

Agenda 2063, the African Union’s (AU) blueprint for economic development, prioritizes agricultural growth. This is outlined in the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP) and further elaborated in the Malabo Declaration on Accelerated Agricultural Growth and Transformation for Shared Prosperity and Improved Livelihoods.

With the launch of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in March 2018, such commitments seek to harness market and trade opportunities locally, regionally, and internationally.

For instance, Agenda 2063 envisions a food secure continent with sustainable farming techniques that will be instrumental in reducing poverty, hunger and malnutrition, while CAADP provides a clear framework for acceleration of agricultural growth, thereby encouraging countries to dedicate at least 10% of their budgets to agriculture.

The AfCFTA, which is a flagship project of Agenda 2063, creates a free trade area for all African countries with a population of over 1.3 billion. By eliminating tariffs and reducing non-tariff barriers, it encourages intra-African trade to ensure that farmers have a wider market for their enhanced harvests.

Mitigating risk

However, expanding intra-African trade in agricultural commodities must be managed carefully to prevent the increased risk of unsafe food, which could reverse gains in food security and reintroduce previously controlled health risks.

Studies show that Africa is the greatest contributor to the burden of unsafe foods in the world. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Africa accounts for nearly one-third of global deaths from food-borne diseases, with approximately 137,000 fatalities out of 420,000 annually. At the same time, unsafe food leads to productivity losses of about US$95 billion a year in low and middle-income countries.

It is imperative we take steps to improve food safety at the national, regional, and international levels to ensure proper application and harmonization of food standards. According to Amb. Josepha Sacko, the Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, improved implementation and harmonization of Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) systems is critical to ensuring that any agricultural trade protects human, animal and plant health.

The SPS agreement under the World Trade Organization (WTO) focuses on how governments can apply sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures and regulations to ensure human health, plant health, animal health, and food and feed safety. However, adhering to the SPS measures has been difficult for some importing countries, leading to limited market access for low- and middle-income economies.

The African Union (AU) introduced the SPS Policy Framework in 2014. This framework was developed to help AU member states align their SPS measures with international standards, thereby enhancing intra-African trade, access to global markets, and food safety. So far, the AU SPS Policy Framework lays out a roadmap to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of SPS systems on the continent to protect human health and facilitate intra-African trade.

CABI’s SPS strategy for 2024-2034 focuses on strengthening sustainable SPS capacity through three core outcomes addressing diverse needs across member countries.

Outcome 1: Increased synergies and collaboration of stakeholders to drive catalytic SPS improvement. This is a continuation and building on ongoing initiatives. Working at a global, regional, and national level, CABI will facilitate, convene, and connect relevant stakeholders who have the potential to play a key role in SPS capacity development in CABI’s member countries and beyond.

Outcome 2: Improved regional and national SPS institutional capacity for effective participation, greater access to, and use of best practices and knowledge products.

This is a continuation and building on ongoing initiatives. CABI will facilitate and deliver core, member-driven activities to build, strengthen, pilot and learn from collaborative and innovative approaches in developing SPS capacity.

Outcome 3: SPS research in tertiary education strengthened. This is a new area of work. Working with partners, CABI will create an interdisciplinary, experiential SPS research model and tertiary education that will address and focus on the rapidly emerging need for innovations at the nexus of food security, food safety, agricultural productivity and economics from local to global scales.

When executed with strict adherence to food safety standards, intra-African trade could become the cornerstone for transforming food systems across the continent. Improved agricultural productivity, expanded market access, and enhanced regional cooperation through frameworks like AfCFTA and CAADP will reduce post-harvest losses, give consumers access to a greater variety of safe foods, and significantly decrease poverty, hunger, and malnutrition.

Aug 29, 2024 | Blog

Leveraging a digital platform to strengthen food systems policies in Africa

By Dr Rebecca McLaren, MD, MPH, Research Advisor, GAIN, Ty Beal, PhD Senior Technical Specialist at GAIN and Stella Nordhagen, Senior Technical Specialist at GAIN


The 2024 Africa Food Systems Forum is centred on the theme, “Innovate, Accelerate, and Scale: Delivering Food Systems Transformation in a Digital and Climate Era.” As the continent faces unprecedented challenges, from climate shocks to economic pressures, the Forum seeks to accelerate the adoption of digital tools to revolutionize food systems and tackle these pressing issues.

The Food Systems Dashboard: a critical tool for transformation

At the heart of this digital transformation is the Food Systems Dashboard, a powerful tool that allows users to easily access and analyze food systems data. This innovative platform enables stakeholders to set priorities for action and track progress, providing crucial insights into the effectiveness of policies and interventions.

The Food Systems Dashboard stands out by bringing together diverse country-level and subnational data across all food system components. It compiles 300 indicators from over 40 public and private sources, presenting this wealth of information in simple, visually appealing graphics. This comprehensive approach gives policymakers, researchers, and other stakeholders a complete view of food systems, including their drivers, components, and outcomes. Moreover, the Dashboard offers in-depth analysis and guidance on how users can effectively leverage this data to identify gaps, monitor progress, and develop impactful interventions.

For instance, the Dashboard includes indicators on food affordability, diet quality, agricultural productivity, and climate vulnerability. A measure of food affordability on the FSD is the percentage of the population unable to afford a healthy diet. This indicates the share of the population whose food budget is less than the cost of a healthy diet. The FSD includes several measures of diet quality from the Global Diet Quality Project, such as minimum dietary diversity for women (MDD-W). This newly proposed SDG indicator reflects the share of women who consumed at least the minimum recommended food groups the previous day, which makes it more likely they consume adequate micronutrients. For those wanting to look at the climate impacts of food systems, the FSD contains indicators on agri-food systems greenhouse gas emissions as well as the emissions intensity for important food groups. The indicators on the FSD allow policymakers to quickly assess areas of strength and weakness in their food systems, and to track progress over time.

Addressing Africa’s unique challenges

Africa stands at a critical juncture. The continent faces a complex web of challenges, including conflicts disrupting food supply systems, economic shocks making nutritious diets unaffordable, and climate-related events reducing agricultural production capacity. Coupled with a growing population, these factors underscore the urgent need for transformative solutions in African food systems.

To address these challenges, several African countries are leveraging the power of the Food Systems Dashboard at a sub-national level. Nigeria, Kenya, and Mozambique have already launched unique country dashboards, with Rwanda currently developing its own. These tailored and more detailed dashboards are created in close partnership with national governments and local stakeholders, with the ultimate goal of full country ownership. This approach ensures that the data and insights provided are directly relevant to each country’s unique food system challenges and opportunities.

Empowering data-driven decision making

The Food Systems Dashboard enables governments to develop policies rooted in facts and objective analysis. This data-driven approach leads to more informed, targeted, and impactful policy decisions, addressing food system issues more effectively. Moreover, it increases government accountability and transparency in the decision-making process.

By leveraging the insights provided by the Dashboard, countries can enhance local food production, develop resilience to climate crises, and ultimately uplift African livelihoods. This aligns perfectly with the Africa Food Systems Forum’s vision of harnessing the continent’s potential to tackle global challenges.

A collaborative effort for global impact

The Food Systems Dashboard is led by The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, The Columbia Climate School, Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, with collaborators at many other institutions. This collaborative effort ensures that the Dashboard remains a cutting-edge tool in the global effort to transform food systems.

As we look towards the 2024 Africa Food Systems Forum, the Food Systems Dashboard stands as a testament to the power of digital innovation in addressing complex food system challenges. By providing accessible, comprehensive data and analysis, it empowers stakeholders across Africa and beyond to make informed decisions, develop effective policies, and drive meaningful change in their food systems.

The transformation of African food systems in the face of climate change and population growth is no small task. However, with tools like the Food Systems Dashboard, we are better equipped than ever to innovate, accelerate, and scale solutions that will ensure food security and sustainability for generations to come.

Aug 27, 2024 | Blog, Featured

Africa’s food future depends on how we engage with the youth today

Agriculture is undoubtedly Africa’s biggest hope for economic transformation, and whatever decisions we make in the next few years will influence the continent’s destiny in the remaining decades of this century.

This is set against projections that Africa’s population will double to over 2.5 billion people by 2050, adding unprecedented pressures on the continent’s food systems and, to a great extent, its farmers, who will be required to double their production.

In anticipation of the expected demand, we agree that  as a continent, we must urgently begin identifying ways to transform our current and future food systems to produce sufficient quantities for our nutritional and economic needs.

Africa has all the required resources to transform its agricultural production to attain self-sufficiency and even have surpluses to trade with the rest of the world. Nearly 60% of the world’s uncultivated arable land is in Africa, and so are some of the best soils and climatic conditions. But most importantly, Africa has the youngest population in the world, which gives it an edge in terms of the longevity of ambitions. Indeed, as of 2024, aproximately three quarters of the continent’s population are under 35 years of age . The African Development Bank further estimates that by 2063, young people will constitute half of Africa’s 2 billion working-age people.

Thankfully, this increasing but youthful population for the continent portends a huge opportunity to transform its agri-food systems. Today’s young people are increasingly exposed to the rest of the world through online technologies, and they are employing solutions that could solve Africa’s food challenges and learning from other countries and regions. The youth are tech savy, ambitious and eager to learn. Millions of them are also educated up to tertiary levels, although nearly 83% are unemployed, as revealed by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation.

At the African Development Bank, we have already realised the opportunity the youth could bring to Africa’s food systems. We are working in collaboration with multiple partners, including governments and the private sector, to engage them.  Among our leading initiatives for tapping their interest is the Jobs for Youth in Africa Strategy 2016–2025, which seeks to facilitate the creation of 25 million jobs and equip 50 million young people with employable skills by 2025. Under this programme, we have two major flagships that specifically relate to agriculture and food value chains, as outlined below:

The ENABLE Youth program, an initiative from the African Development Bank ,  helps young African men and women access financing to grow their enterprises. Currently active in 15 countries with investments exceeding $490 million, and benefiting around 40,000 youths, the program has emerged as a transformative force in fostering entrepreneurship and tackling youth unemployment. . One beneficiairy of the Program, Adja Sembene Fall, a Senegalese youth entrepreneur run a start-up selling luxury tea brands. Adja participated in Enable Youth’s annual AgriPitch Competition In 2022 and won USD 25,000.  “the 2022 AgriPitch Competition helped  me to develop new distribution partnerships, as well as acquire new customers. Since my participation, I have strengthened my team by setting up a processing unit. Today, we have enabled four women in our community to develop a fixed monthly income. The media exposure that I received from this competition has expanded my professional network and led to a 100% increase in sales.” says Adja

we should see more examples like Adja’s and scale up this kind of Initiatives.

the Skill Enhancement Zones  are part of the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones initiative. The Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZs) are agro-based spatial development initiatives from the African Development Bank, designed to concentrate agro-processing activities within areas of high production, processing and marketing of selected commodities. These zones create demand-led training and job placement programs within industrial clusters and parks anddesigned to develop a workforce aligned with employers’ needs.

Aside from these flagships, the Bank continues to support governments in implementing their national youth initiatives, including through financing that can be invested in innovative agribusiness start-ups and other projects with high growth potential. So far, we have seen some of our investments being used to:

  • Facilitate access to modern technologies, equipment, and machinery for enhanced agricultural productivity and value chain efficiency.
  • Deliver tailored training programs and mentorship to develop business skills and entrepreneurial acumen.
  • Strengthen value chains and promote market integration for agricultural products.
  • Promote sustainable agricultural practices and climate resilience among entrepreneurs.

The African Development Bank is always on the lookout for innovative partnerships that could accelerate the impact of its Funds, particularly in drawing more youth into agriculture and related value chains. We shall be exploring such partnerships and other strategies at the 2024 Africa Food Systems Forum in Kigali, Rwanda, from September 3 – 6. Ahead of this convening, we welcome ideas, investments, and other opportunities that will help drive our vision of a food-secure Africa led by youth initiatives.


Edson Rurangwa Mpyisi, Chief Financial Economist and Enable Youth Coordinator, African Development Bank.

Aug 8, 2024 | Blog

Accountability mechanisms required to achieve Malabo 2025, SDG 2030 targets

Over the last two decades, multiple food system convenings have been held across Africa, during which significant declarations and partnerships have been announced.

In 2003, for example, African Union (AU) leaders met in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, and committed to increasing their national budget allocations to agriculture development to at least 10 percent. Two years later, recognizing the need to accelerate the restoration of Africa’s depleted soils, AU heads made the Abuja Declaration, pinning them to increase their national fertilizer application to at least 50 Kg/ha.

The Maputo commitment was reaffirmed in 2014 in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, in addition to multiple other pledges around agricultural development, poverty reduction, and nutrition, all to be achieved by 2025.  A year later, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted by all United Nations members, creating 17 world Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity.

Just recently, in 2023, at the Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi, Kenya, a resolve was made to accelerate climate funding to avert impending challenges affecting African countries, notably their agri-food sectors.

With the above events in mind, various other pledges have been made by governments, the private sector, and other stakeholders, all of which have pushed for the acceleration of food system transformation objectives.

Unfortunately, nearly all deadlines have been missed, with the continent being significantly off track for the pending ones, notably the Malabo Declaration (2025) and the SDGs (2030).

However, a turnaround may be achieved by shunning the business-as-usual approach and establishing transparent and collaborative partnerships that hold all stakeholders accountable. Accountability mechanisms encourage stakeholders to work together towards shared goals, leveraging their respective strengths and resources. With precise accountability mechanisms in place, financial, human, and technological resources can be allocated more efficiently while reducing the duplication of efforts and ensuring that investments are targeted toward initiatives with the most significant impact.

In this regard, governments should urgently develop and enforce policies that promote transparency to the already-established commitments. This is as other stakeholders, including the private sector and civil society, commit to pursuing accountability at the community level.

Thankfully, all the continental pledges and commitments made so far are supported by reporting processes and monitoring tools, which comprise trackable indicators that can pinpoint existing loopholes.

We can start with Malabo, enforced by the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP), a reporting programme comprising a Biennial Review process highlighting the progress and areas needing attention to actualize critical food security and nutrition goals. The fourth Biennial Review (BR4) report was released earlier this year, with all 49 reviewed countries needing to catch up in achieving the Malabo Declaration goals. Six countries did not participate, two more than in BR3 when Rwanda was the only country on track.

Against this backdrop, all stakeholders are now called to accelerate the actions under review by the CAADP. If achieved as envisaged, this will fast-track the primary food system objectives, forming the foundation of many other continental agendas.

-ENDS

| Blog

Private sector engagement key in Africa’s food system transformation

The private sector is a key demographic whose unique strengths for capital mobilization and innovation must be harnessed to accelerate Africa’s food system transformation.

Multiple researchers have found that rapid transition could be achieved by tapping the private sector to improve distribution networks, set up post-harvest management facilities, and expand market access. However, government leadership is still critical in providing direction, starting with policy investments that shield smallholder farmers and other small players across the food and agricultural value chains from exploitation. Other solutions include the development of regional food balance sheets and appropriate infrastructure to avert the incidence of post-harvest losses, which accounts for up to 40% of all the food produced in Africa.

For market development, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which, when fully implemented, will open up a $3.4 trillion market across the 55 African countries, stands as a remarkable opportunity. The common market introduced under the AfCFTA is expected to engage the private sector in capturing Africa’s diverse strengths in food value chains and specialties, reducing overdependence on foreign agricultural inputs through enhanced intra-African trade.

Additionally, government-led investments in youth projects can be leveraged to rope in private investments. A good example is the Government of Tanzania’s Building a Better Tomorrow – Youth in Africa (BBT-YIA) initiative, a $500m project aimed at boosting youth participation in agriculture. The six-year project is expected to draw more support from the private sector during its implementation as it focuses on transforming the country into a tech-led agricultural production powerhouse.

Meanwhile, the continent’s youth is a resource that should be tapped to inject renewed vigour into food systems, creating the grounds for private sector investment to introduce multiple opportunities for job creation, a critical imperative. Indeed, there is a need to celebrate successful youth agripreneurships, like Hello Tractor, a tractor-hailing platform; KeepItCool, a cold-chain investor; and Magofarm, an insect protein feed maker, whose success is capturing the interest of young people in food systems innovation.

Finally, establishing sustainable financing strategies is a key requirement for private-sector participation. In relation, the Agribusiness Dealroom at the Africa Food Systems Forum (AFS Forum) in Kigali, Rwanda, from September 3 – 6, 2024, comes as a critical opportunity for fundraising. The AFS Forum will be held under the theme, ‘Innovate, Accelerate and Scale: Delivering Food Systems Transformation in a Digital and Climate Era’, in recognition of the urgent need to transform African food systems by prioritizing youth participation. Activities at the forum will also strive to engage private sector leadership in the continent’s food system transformation, including through multiple opportunities for investment across varied food system value chains.

-ENDS

Jul 19, 2024 | Blog

Rwanda Agriculture Sector Outlook Ahead of 2024 AFS Forum

From September 3 – 6, 2024, all eyes will be on Rwanda, where world leaders, private sector players, scientists and researchers, farmers, and civil society will gather to review the progress towards Africa’s food system transformation ahead of critical deadlines, including the African Union’s Malabo Declaration (2025) and the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (2030).

Under the theme, Innovate, Accelerate, and Scale: Delivering Food Systems Transformation in a Digital and Climate Era, participants at this year’s forum will be out to evaluate innovative policy mechanisms, financing initiatives, research, and business models in relation to the implementation of cutting-edge technologies and equipment to manage climate impact, the digital and financing gap, and reduce food waste.

Rwanda is a gracious host as it convenes the event every alternate year, a feat that only a government that is fully dedicated to continental food system transformation objectives can achieve.

Indeed, the Rwanda government has prioritized agriculture for investment, making the sector its largest economic driver. It accounts for 31% of its annual GDP and has contributed to a 22% reduction in poverty levels over the last two decades.

Agriculture employs 70% of Rwanda’s population, accounts for 37% of the country’s exports, and raises over $640 million in export revenue from the sale of coffee, tea, pyrethrum, macadamia, flowers, fruits, vegetables, cereals, and grains.

Rwanda prioritizes agriculture by investing in infrastructure, institutions, markets, and innovation, fostering a conducive environment for private sector investment. Opportunities include dairy, poultry, meat processing, horticulture, aquaculture, mechanization, crop sourcing, blockchain, agro-tourism, irrigation equipment manufacturing, and cold chain logistics.

Household Crop production

  • Sweet potatoes – 44.6%
  • Banana – 40.2%
  • Maize – 67.7%
  • Cassava – 45.6%
  • Sorghum- 20.9%
  • Irish potato – 15.5%
  • Vegetables – 14.0%
  • Yams and taro – 13.2%
  • Soybean – 12%
  • Groundnut – 6.3%
  • Peas -5.8%
  • Wheat – 3.6%
  • Paddy rice – 3.2%.

Household livestock production

  • Cattle – 53.4%
  • Goats 37.6%
  • Pigs – 33.7% r
  • Chicken – 31.3%
  • Sheep – 9.9%
  • Rabbits – 8.6%

National agricultural strategy

Rwanda is currently developing the national Strategic Plan for Agriculture Transformation (PSTA 5), following the success of the PSTA 4, which led to an increase in irrigated land to 71,585 hectares reaching 70% of the 2024 target.

Investment opportunities in agriculture

Many opportunities for investment exist in the country’s agriculture sector, including in dairy, poultry, meat processing, horticulture, aquaculture, mechanization, crop sourcing, blockchain, agro-tourism, irrigation equipment manufacturing, and cold chain logistics.

Rwanda’s performance in achieving the Malabo Declaration targets

In 2014, AU heads of state and government meeting in Equatorial Guinea adopted the Malabo Declaration to provide the direction for Africa’s agricultural transformation for the period 2015-2025.

As of 2024, Rwanda is the leading country in achieving the targets of the Malabo Declaration, with a score of 8.07 out of 10.  According to the latest Biennial Review Report (AUDA-NEPAD 2022a), Rwanda was the only country on track to achieve four out of seven Malabo commitments (1, 4, 6, and 7).

Nov 29, 2023 | Blog, Featured

Building Africa’s Agricultural Resilience in the Face of Climate Change

Amath Pathe Sene

Africa’s food systems hold global significance, impacting both worldwide food security and climate resilience. However, ensuring food resilience in Africa presents undeniable challenges. The connection between climate resilience and food systems becomes evident as climate change poses threats to agri-food systems , resulting in crop failures, increased food prices, loss in job opportunities and heightened food  and nutrition insecurity. Within this complex scenario, a critical issue emerges—the climate finance gap, specifically addressing challenges faced by smallholder farmers in Africa.

Despite Africa contributing less than 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, its agricultural sector grapples with disproportionate challenges, worsened by droughts, floods, heatwaves, pests and diseases . The Africa Food Systems Forum 2023 highlighted the severity, with smallholder farmers dealing with unprecedented temperatures. Alarmingly, only 35 cents of every climate finance dollar reaches these farmers, leaving them on the frontline of climate change impact. Urgent intervention is essential, not only to address the immediate needs of over 33 million smallholder farmers but also to establish a sustainable model ensuring resilience amidst climate uncertainties. Bridging the climate finance gap for these farmers is not just a financial imperative but a moral one, necessitating a concerted effort to empower those pivotal to our collective food security and environmental stability.

Shaping Africa’s Climate Agenda at COP28

The cornerstone of sustainable climate action lies in adapting and building resilience, encompassing the active involvement of communities, ecosystems, and infrastructure but also addressing losses and damages caused by recurrent climate events. This requires strengthening the adaptive capacity of African farmers, fortifying food supply chains, implementing inclusive policies, and developing crucial infrastructure. Recognizing the inefficiency in resource deployment, where Africa receives $USD30 billion in annual climate finance flow which is a mere 11 per cent of the required annual amount, underscores the urgent need for effective action. Given their vulnerability, farmers require inclusion and empowerment for resilience building to advance mitigation , adaptation , loss and damage.

Fundamentally, it becomes imperative to acknowledge Africa’s unique circumstances on the global stage within the broader context of climate negotiations. Africa’s heightened vulnerability, distinct sensitivities, and lower capacity to cope necessitate urgent and inclusive action. This acknowledgment lays the groundwork for a more equitable and effective approach in addressing climate change. To achieve the ambitious objectives outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement, the global community must actively recognize and address the distinctive challenges that Africa’s food systems encounter.

Shaping a Sustainable Future: Advocacy,  Collaboration and Finance

The Africa Food Systems Forum 2023 underscored the complex connection between agriculture, nutrition, infrastructure climate change, and resilience, providing guidance on how best to steer the continent towards a transformative strategy for food systems.

Addressing the climate crisis requires a restructuring of financial architecture to encourage climate investments. Giving special attention to the agriculture sector, which bears the greatest impact, it is crucial to renew commitments to green financing initiatives. Despite Africa receiving $30 billion annually, only a small fraction of its requirements, global leaders must uphold the commitment to furnish $100 billion in yearly climate finance to developing countries.

 As the international community readies for COP28,  it is time for collective action to mold a more robust and sustainable future, drawing global attention to these crucial issues.

Shared advocacy and collaboration emerge as fundamental principles, with a particular emphasis on ensuring active inclusion for African countries. Recognizing the challenges faced by these nations in addressing climate change, a collective effort that transcends geographical and economic boundaries is imperative. This approach involves amplifying the voices of African countries, acknowledging their unique circumstances, and integrating their perspectives into the global climate dialogue. Collaboration extends beyond traditional state actors to include non-state entities, civil society, and the private sector, recognizing their pivotal roles in driving sustainable solutions. Establishing platforms for knowledge exchange, facilitating technology transfer, and providing adequate financial support are vital components of inclusive collaboration. The COP28 can serve as a catalyst for meaningful progress, ensuring that the concerns and contributions of African countries take center stage in the global climate action agenda.

Writer is Managing Director for the Africa Food Systems Forum

Original article published on the Nigerian Tribune. The article has also been published here and here

 

Jul 26, 2023 | Blog

AGRICULTURE : les systèmes alimentaires en Afrique, bilan et perspectives

Pendant longtemps, des pays africains ont mis en place des systèmes alimentaires, dont l’objectif est la transformation de l’agriculture en Afrique. D’où la naissance de la Zone de Libre-Échange Continentale Africaine ( ZLECAF ) qui est une opportunité de supprimer les barrières commerciales et de renforcer le commerce intrarégional, offrant aux agriculteurs des chaînes de valeur agro-alimentaires une forte incitation à augmenter les systèmes alimentaires.

Le défi à relever reste le financement des systèmes alimentaires sur un continent africain où une personne sur cinq est victime de la faim et dont la population devrait atteindre les deux milliards d’habitants d’ici 2050.

Des pays du monde sont en train de participer au tout premier bilan mondial de l’Accord de Paris visant à examiner les progrès accomplis dans la réalisation des objectifs climatiques essentiels. À la présentation des résultats à la COP28 aux Émirats Arabes Unis, il est attendu que l’une des conclusions soit que le monde, y compris la plupart des pays d’Afrique, ait encore un long chemin à parcourir pour atteindre les objectifs de l’Accord ( la réduction des émissions, l’atténuation et l’adaptation aux changements climatiques ).

En attendant, c’est le « global stock-taking » sur les systèmes alimentaires qui se tient du 24 au 26 juillet 2023. Un premier moment de bilan des systèmes alimentaires de l’ONU en 2023 à Rome, en Italie, à la faveur du sommet des Nations Unies sur les systèmes alimentaires 2021.

Cette rencontre a pour objectif de créer un espace propice pour que les pays passent en revue les engagements d’action pris lors du sommet.

Si l’Afrique prends les devants, elle peut mettre à profit les processus de révision des déclarations et des engagements pour accélérer la transformation des systèmes alimentaires.

Les secteurs de l’agriculture et de l’alimentation sont parmi ceux qui contribuent le plus aux émissions de gaz à effet de serre. Cependant, les investissements adéquats dans la transition vers des systèmes alimentaires durables, résilients et inclusifs feraient de l’agriculture une partie clé de la solution.

L’un des points essentiels du sommet de cette année sera la participation des femmes qui fournissent 40% de la main-d’œuvre dans la production agricole et des jeunes qui composent 60% de la population en Afrique subsaharienne dans la transformation des systèmes alimentaires, en mettant l’accent sur leur engagement dans l’évaluation des progrès accomplis et l’établissement de nouveaux partenaires pour accélérer la réalisation de ces objectifs.

Lors de ce sommet très riche, l’Agribusiness Dealroom, selon le directeur général du forum sur les systèmes alimentaires en Afrique, renforcera sa capacité de mettre en relation les entrepreneurs et les gouvernements avec des investisseurs, des fonds et des prestataires de services techniques, et de faciliter l’accès au financement et au soutien technique pour faire progresser l’innovation et les plans de transformation nationaux. Il promet également une étape cruciale dans le parcours de l’Afrique vers la sécurité alimentaire.