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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

As of 2024, youth make up the largest share of Africa’s population – about 60 percent of the continent’s 1.2 billion people are below 25. However, together with women, who account for nearly half of the agricultural labour force, young people are among the most marginalized demographics, often left out of enhancement opportunities. Without the […]

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 […]

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 […]