Category: Blog

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

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).

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.

The VALUE4HER Women Agripreneurs of the Year Awards, known as WAYA recognizes African female agripreneurs who have excelled in the agricultural value chains and have demonstrated remarkable innovation by contributing positively towards food security, climate resilience, women and youth empowerment. The awards aim to create visibility for successful women and promote them as positive role models, trigger innovation, and spur ambition among women agripreneurs. We spoke to Fatou Manneh, founder of Jelmah Herbella, based in The Gambia and awarded YOUNG FEMALE AGRIPRENEUR (RISING STAR).

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Tell us a bit about yourself

My name is Fatou Manneh, I am 33 years old, from The Gambia. I was schooled in The Gambia and went to the University of The Gambia where I studied Development Studies and a minor in English. In 2014 when I had completed my degree I joined a project called EMPRETEC which focused on educating entrepreneurs, farmers and vendors to facilitate sustainable development and inclusive growth. I am a professional trainer, specialising in entrepreneurship and agricultural training, especially educating and empowering women. While working for EMPRETEC, I set up my business Jelmah Herbella.

What is Jelmah Herbella?

Jelmah is a local name which means ‘choose me’ and Herbella is ‘Her beauty’. I had the idea back in high school when I saw herbs everywhere and wanted to start using them. In 2019 I set up the business. Jelmah Herbella processes locally grown herbs and cereals into teas, honey, herbal seasoning, and baby food, using blended recipes that give customers a unique taste and healthy diet. We work with farmers to produce organic herbs on a large scale through a farmers’ platform that brings together groups of women farmers under one umbrella, encouraging women to engage in permaculture, grow herbs in the backyard using car tires, sacks, broken pans, and sell Herbs and Cereal crops to a reliable market to earn extra income. They ensure sustainable health community through organic farming.

The theme for this year’s International Women’s day – DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality – what role has innovation and technology played in your business?

We have leveraged technology since we started Jelmah Herbella. It’s crucial for us to connect with women from all over. I use social media to reach people around the globe and tell our story to a much bigger audience. We use technology to reach out to potential partners, investors and mentors and this has meant we have been able t grow as a company. Some of the herbs that exist in The Gambia are not available elsewhere but by using technology we can sell them to anyone. But we need to bring women along on the journey, and give them greater access to the latest technologies. We need to educate women on the uses of technology, this will have a big impact on the gender gap. Access to technology gives us greater access to best-practice and learnings from all over the world. It means we can all work together to help and support each other. The world is a global village.

How did you hear about the Value4Her WAYA awards? And what made you enter? What has winning the award meant to you?

I am so proud, grateful and honoured to have won. It was technology that helped me to hear about WAYA and the award. I am always looking for opportunities and I came across the award and thought ‘why not, let me try’. When I was told I was the winner I couldn’t believe it! I believed in myself and it’s amazing that WAYA also believe in me. Walking on to that stage in Rwanda at the AGRF Summit, in front of so many incredible dignitaries, to receive the award was something I will never forget. I am so honoured. Winning the award has given me the opportunity to travel all over the world, telling people about Jelmah Herbella and opening new doors for me.

What are your hopes for the future and what advice would you give young entrepreneurs in Africa?

The Award has enabled me to rebrand my product and I am so excited about what the future holds for myself and Jelmah Herbella. I am now able to reach a global market and really put The Gambia on the map. We’re able to do more marketing and get our website up and running which will give us greater visibility. Connecting with WAYA has opened so many doors for me and I’m excited to see where life takes us. I believe I will be the leading tea provider in Africa.

My advice to young people is to step out of your comfort zone, ask questions, connect with people. The time you spend on your phone, use it wisely, look for opportunities. Set goals that are realistic, attainable but demanding. What do you want to achieve and where do you see yourself in the future? Look for mentors to help you get there. Believe in yourself, only you can get you to where you need to be.

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Le prix Value4her, femme “agripreneur de l’année”, connu sous le nom “WAYA”, est un prix qui reconnait les femmes agripreneurs africaines, qui ont vraiment contribué de facon exceptionnelle vers les filières agricoles.

Ces femmes ont fait preuve d’une innovation remarquable dans les domaines de la sécurité alimentaire, dans la résilience et l’adaptation au changement climatique, ainsi que dans l’émancipation des femmes et des jeunes. Ce prix a, comme objectif, de créer de la visibilité pour ces femmes brillantes et accomplies, et de les promouvoir en tant que modèles – des modèles qui inspirent innovation et ambition pour les jeunes d’aujourd’hui.

Pour cet épisode, nous avons accueilli Célia Chabi, directrice de Kiel bien-être, basée au Bénin, et gagnante du prix pour la valeur ajoutée exceptionnelle de son entreprise. Ses produits à base de baobab (café, huile, pommade, baume) aident réellement à réduire les risques de carences et de dénutrition – et Célia travaille toujours à développer ses recettes pour le bien-être de la communauté.

Nous avons commencé par discuter du parcours personnel de Célia. Elle nous a parlé de ses origines béninoises, elle y a fait ses études et elle a toujours vécu dans le nord du pays. Spécialiste dans l’accompagnement psychosocial des enfants, mais aussi passionnée par la nature et la lecture, son histoire est un véritable exemple du potentiel énorme quand nous combinons nos compétences et nos passions.

“Ma passion pour la nature m’a poussé à créer Kiel bien-être”. La conversation a continué ainsi:

Ton activisme et ton travail dans les organisations et les associations diverses et variées ont-ils commencé assez tôt dans ta vie, et qu’est-ce qui t’a mené vers cette activité ?

J’ai commencé à militer dans la vie associative à l’âge de 12 ans – dans mon quartier j’ai constaté qu’ il y avait des enfants qui, au cours de leur scolarité, n’arrivaient pas à suivre car ils avaient des difficultés pour lire. Donc j’ai commencé pendant les vacances scolaires à organiser des jeux et des activités pour leur permettre quand même de gagner le niveau nécessaire afin de commencer la nouvelle rentrée.

Après, j’ai créé une association qui avait pour but d’intéresser les enfants, à partir de 5 ans, a aimer la lecture. C’est avec cette association que les gens ont commencé à s’intéresser à moi, et c’est parti comme ça !

Raconte-nous l’histoire de ton entreprise, Kiel bien-être. Pourquoi l’entreprise existe-t-elle ? Elle a été fondée pourquoi et comment ?

J’ai connu une période assez difficile, une maladie qui a duré plus de 10 ans, qui m’avait empêché de continuer mes études. Je suis donc passé par une période de dépression vraiment massive.

“Mais je me suis dit: j’ai des objectifs, j’ai une vision, je suis jeune et j’ai tellement envie de contribuer au développement de l’économie de mon pays, qu’il ne faut pas que j’abandonne.”

Donc, je suis arrivé à me relever de cette situation-là. Je me suis posé la question, qu’est-ce que j’aimerais laisser pour la génération future ?

Kiel bien-être est parti d’une histoire personnelle. Mon fils aîné a souffert de la dysenterie. J’ai dû faire plein de recettes de grand-mère, et j’ai essayé avec du baobab. Au bout de 2 jours, les symptômes de la dysenterie sont partie. Je me suis dit “wow!”.

Donc je me suis intéressée davantage à ce que le baobab peut nous apporter nutritionnellement – et à ce que nous pourrions faire avec les feuilles, et avec d’autres parties de la plante, au-delà des petits produits que nous trouvons au marché.

Le thème de la journée internationale de la femme pour 2023 est “L’innovation et la technologie pour l’égalité des sexes”. Quel rôle a-t-elle joué, la technologie, pour la fondation et le progrès de Kiel bien-être ? Qu’est ce que tu vois comme les obstacles et les opportunités avec la technologie ?

Je pense qu’aujourd’ hui je dois parler des réseaux sociaux qui m’ont permis de faire connaître Kiel bien-être à travers le pays et à l’international. Je suis fière aujourd’hui d’être membre de plusieurs réseaux, et tout ça, c’est grâce au numérique. Si il n’y avait pas cette technologie, nous n’aurions pas les mêmes opportunités.

Les femmes s’y intéressent de plus en plus. Mais, prenons le Bénin comme exemple, la scolarité est un problème. La plupart des jeunes filles ne vont pas à l’école. Je pense que chez nous, le gouvernement doit faire le nécessaire pour que toutes les filles puissent avoir une éducation.

Quoique soit la raison, pour les individus comme pour les entreprises, que ce soit les femmes ou les hommes, la technologie et les réseaux sociaux représentent un point de sortie, et davantage d’opportunités.

Comment as-tu su pour le prix ‘WAYA’ ? Et quelle était ta motivation pour présenter ta candidature ?

Ceci a commencé en 2021, quand une amie m’a envoyé le lien – il fallait être nommé par quelqu’un, donc c’est mon époux qui m’a nommée.

J’ai reçu le mail me disant que je faisais partie des top 15, puis des top 7. Mais je n’ai pas pu faire partie des lauréates cette fois-ci…

J’étais en colère, je me disais que j’avais raté une opportunité. J’étais impressionnée quand même par ces femmes qui étaient gagnantes. Donc, en 2022 j’ai vraiment guetté la candidature, j’ai bien suivi le processus du début à la fin et ceci m’a permis d’évaluer et d’améliorer mon projet, de revoir mes objectifs. J’avais maintenant un vrai but, et heureusement pour moi, j’étais cette fois ci parmi les lauréates. J’ai reçu le prix pour l’entreprise de la valeur ajoutée exceptionnelle.

Et quand tu as appris que tu avais gagné, quelle a été ta réaction ? Qu’est-ce que cela signifie pour toi et pour Kiel bien-être, d’avoir gagné ce prix ?

Même le jour de la remise du prix, je ne savais pas encore que je serais gagnante ! C’était déjà très bien d’avoir pu pousser mon entreprise, par la candidature, vers un si grand réseau.

Quand j’ai su que j’avais gagné, je suis un peu passé par toutes les émotions, j’étais surtout étonnée ! Et il y avait bien sûr une part de satisfaction, je me suis dit : “Célia, tu as franchi cette grande étape, maintenant il va falloir que tu travailles encore plus ! Il faut vraiment que je sois à la hauteur de ce projet-la, il ne faut pas que tu déçoives !”

Le prix WAYA nous a aidé à acquérir beaucoup de terre et de matériel, ce qui a transformé notre entreprise et m’a permis de ‘grandir’ en tant qu’entrepreneur. En peu de temps, nous avons fait un truc exceptionnel ,ça a changé ma vie.

Ce que j’ai aussi vraiment apprécié dans le prix WAYA, c’est le suivi. L’équipe ne nous a jamais lâché. De temps en temps, il y avait des personnes qui venaient voir si nous avions besoin d’aide pour ceci, pour cela…Ce sont des choses qui sont rares, en fait.

C’est devenu comme une famille.

Pour les jeunes à travers le continent africain, qu’est-ce que tu leur dirais ? As-tu des conseils pour les jeunes entrepreneurs ?

Je leur dirais : postulez pour les prix comme WAYA ! Car vous ne savez jamais ce qui peut arriver ! Ne jamais perdre votre vision. Il faut avoir une grande vision, et surtout une bonne vision.

L’entrepreneuriat aujourd’hui, ce n’est pas facile. Ce n’est pas qui veut, mais qui peut. Nous avons souvent envie d’abandonner mais il faut travailler encore plus dans ces moments. Et une chose très importante, c’est de vous entourer de bonnes personnes qui vont vraiment vous soutenir moralement.

By Nixon Mageka Gecheo

Senior Program Officer – Digital Systems & Solutions for Agriculture|AGRA

This year marks the end of the first Global Stocktake, which began in 2021 to monitor the implementation of the Paris Agreement, and evaluate the collective progress made in achieving the agreed goals. The Global Stocktake links the implementation of nationally determined contributions (NDCs) with the main goals of the Paris Agreement, with the ultimate goal of raising climate ambition.

For farmers, the months to November, when the inaugural Stocktake concludes, come as a critical opportunity to present the final submissions to the Stocktake’s thematic areas of mitigation, adaptation and implementation, guided by their experience from working on the land.

The participation of farmers, and indeed other stakeholders in food systems, is instrumental in developing the data needed to progress the capacity to respond to change and identify the opportunities for improving resilience to the adverse impacts of climate change.

Indeed, as climate change grows to become the biggest challenge that farmers in Africa and other developing regions have to grapple with, data will continue to increase in value as it provides the platform for the development of policies and infrastructure leading to sectoral transformation.

Marcella McClatchey, the Senior Program Officer for Inclusive Markets at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation properly summed it up at last year’s Africa’s Food Systems Summit (AGRF) in Kigali, Rwanda, when she said, “Data is the new oil”.

The value of data goes beyond Stocktake moments, noting that effective data systems can guide the responses for future events. These data systems, as per a report on Farmer-Centric Data Governance, launched during the AGRF, can be more efficient when designed in ways that build the trust and confidence of farmers. As such, it is instrumental that farmers are placed at the center of data models and programs that are deployed for their benefit. Farmers need education on the value of the data that they produce, and how it can be leveraged to support and improve their output and boost efficient use of their resources.

“We need to move beyond merely giving farmers information to advising on what to do with that information,” said Akintunde Akinwande, OCP Africa’s Head of Digital and Business Development for Nigeria and Middle Africa.

Going forward, and in the run-up to the Global Stocktake, and other similar activities across the year, including the 2023 Africa’s Food Systems Summit in Tanzania, and the 28^th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (CoP28) in the UAE, the following should be the priority actions to ensure that Africa’s farmers benefit from emerging data programs, models and systems. These actions emerged from the most recent Africa’s Food Systems convention:

1. Promotion of shared data aggregation points through digital public infrastructure (DPI) model at country level – “Data being the new oil” also requires “an infrastructure” to exploit. Stakeholders must explore strategies for the development of shared data aggregation points at national level that combine the efforts of multiple stakeholders. It is necessary to explore how these DPI models can be led by governments but managed independently through multi-stakeholder trustee/custodian/steward approach.

2. The development of user-centric models of data collection, storage and sharing that facilitate a collaborative approach to encourage farmers to participate – This will be driven by structures that allow a two-way flow of data and value to and from farmers. Value added data from the shared data aggregation point(s) must be shared with farmers for decision making, and farmers must be made to understand the value of their data and what benefits accrue from sharing it.

3. Supporting a vibrant enabling environment, one inclusive of policy, partnership and capacity building, and which mobilizes the leadership needed to empower collective action – This will lead to the design of policies in a user-driven and consultative manner that responds to the needs of the beneficiaries. Targeted training, and capacity building for all stakeholders to promote an aligned and trusted multistakeholder approach to data management are required.

Slightly over 16 months ago, African heads of State and 20 ministers presented their national pathways for food systems transformation at the UN Food Systems Summit. The pathways are envisioned as opportunities for the people who work in food systems – across the public and private sector, and civil society – to identify the priorities for the attainment of sustainable and equitable food systems.

In this article, we collate views from leaders in food systems explaining the major limiting factors preventing many countries from advancing their national pathways, the steps taken to spur action by the successful ones, and the strategies for achieving more desirable results. The speakers shared their views at the AGRF, Africa’s Food Systems Forum 2022, in Kigali, Rwanda.

H.E. Lazarus Chakwera, President of Malawi

Following the Food Systems Summit, Malawi undertook a nationwide multi-stakeholder dialogue process to identify policy and implementation gaps and agree on game changing propositions to trigger a structural transformation for the entire food system. As a result, we identified catalysts to lead the transformation of the food systems in Malawi, including policy coherence; infrastructure development like roads, processing and storage facilities; diversification of diets, equitable access and control of productive resources like land and water; changing consumer trends, and the digitization of the agricultural sector. Our focus now is turning these priority aspirations into actions.

Rt. Hon. Tony Blair, Executive Chair of the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change

The toughest thing about the government… is getting anything done; nothing happens unless you get the whole government mobilized, unless you focus on implementation. The current situation is unacceptable… Africa is a rich continent, with too many poor people, many of them farmers. We know what we have to do, but doing it requires focus, with, attention to detail, and the determination that the job will be done.

Jean Claude Musabyimana, Minister of Local Government, Rwanda

We (Rwanda) are now on the food systems implementation strategy and implementation plan, where we want to define actionable and pragmatic sets of investment areas that will catalyze the food system transformation, and, so far, we have identified six game changing solutions: 1) nutritious food programs; 2) food loss and waste management, 3) inclusive markets and food value chains 4) sustainable and resilient food production systems, 5) inclusive financing and innovative investments, and 6) effective mainstreaming of youth and women in food systems. We have the implementation model, and we have 14 indicative priority programs… we opted not to create new structures but new delivery mechanisms… We have now designed programs to address critical areas raised during the food systems dialogues.

Dr. Apollos Nwafor, Vice President, Policy and State Capability, AGRA

The question is how do we turn national pathways into strategies that have clear deliverables – which governments and everyone else can be held accountable for? If we don’t do this, Africa will be the only hungry continent by 2030. We need to take a political economy approach to this (transformation). When we consider a national food systems strategy, we need to understand what is the political economy for food systems transformation in that country and at what cost? Who’s going to benefit from it and why? and who’s going to lose and why? We also must consider capacities – for example the CAADP (Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme) is a fantastic framework to drive agricultural transformation, but only two countries are on track, and this is due to a capacity gap. As much as we have policy frameworks in our countries, implementation has been weak, and that is majorly through implementation capacity…and because of that, governments are now willing to prioritize because they do not see the capacity for delivery. Finally, we must rethink blended financing or the financing mechanisms for these strategies

Dr. Godfrey Bahiigwa, Director of Agriculture and Rural Development, African Union Commission.

We (the African Union) have identified and defined the process that will allow us to engage and support member states to operationalize what they have identified in their food systems pathways and, actually, this is moving from ideas into bankable business cases that are implementable. At the same time, we are looking at how to enhance the actual capacity to implement, both in terms of public-private blended actions, but also involving sub-national institutions, and at the same time connecting with regional and continental efforts in realizing success.

Readwell Musopole, Deputy Director of Planning, Ministry of Agriculture, Zimbabwe

We (Zimbabwe) have come up with a roadmap in terms of how we move forward and it consists of four main areas: 1) Providing space for the minister of agriculture to take the action plan and lead the commitment with their ministerial colleagues, 2) to take this to the technocrats within the line ministries and provide details of identified challenges, and the priorities to be undertaken in the short term as well as the medium terms, 3) to have national validation sessions, where we are going to invite everyone to input and enrich this work to adopt the agenda at the country level, 4) to take this outcome at the national level to ground-level structures — the district councils — because we realized at the national stage is where the strategies and policies are put together, but in terms of action it’s going to be done at the grassroot level – the district council level. The production of the national consultations we envisage is going to be input into the national planning cycles and at the district council levels.

Gerda Verburg, Coordinator, Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) movement

We need to translate the pathways into policy, legislation, execution and financing, while making sure that the focus of our governments is not on only buying food to feed their people… but investing a part of the $60 billion per year that African governments are investing in importing food – which is an annual cost, but not an investment for the future – so that part of it is invested in the transition to become less dependent on imports and provide a better future for farmers, people, youth, women and communities.

As of 2023, four out of 10 people in Africa live in cities, where they are exposed to new dietary trends and habits, including the regular consumption of highly processed foods, or foods of low nutritional value. At the same time, the soaring cost of living is denying many an opportunity to afford balanced diets. Consequently, there has been a co-related spike in diet-related diseases like malnutrition, obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes. Indeed, the World Health Organization predicts that Africa will experience the highest increase in diabetes globally, reaching 55 million people by 2045—a 134% spike from 2021. As a result, nutrition-related conditions are costing African governments $110b every year in lost productivity.

Faced with such realities, we must admit that our current food systems are neither working for our health nor our environment, and must now be urgently transformed with a focus on improved nutrition for all. Going forward, all stakeholders are called upon to increase the access, affordability, and availability of healthy and nutritious food for all Africans across the continent, a process that starts with a strong policy environment. In this regard, governments must strive to actualize policies for robust nutrition-focused investments that can withstand emerging shocks like pandemics, regional and international conflicts, and climate change. Many of the policy goals needed to support this drive are contained in previous commitments by government leaders such as the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), and the African Union’s Agenda 2063. In the next few years, it will be critical that governments honor their pledges in the aforementioned programs, notably the commitment to invest at least 10% of their budget in agricultural food system transformation, a key investment for addressing the continent’s nutrition and hunger problems.   

The private sector, too, has a vital role to play in sustaining the continent’s nutrition objectives, as it serves as the major link between producers and consumers of agricultural produce. Through various partnerships, governments and their development partners must advocate for nutritious food uptake in ways that invoke the interest of private investors. Some work has already been done in this context, including at last year’s AGRF – Africa’s Food System Summit, where private entrepreneurs, including owners of agri-SMEs, emphasized their willingness to move nutritious food, as long as it made business sense.

Yet perhaps the biggest progress in terms of nutrition would be achieved by targeting smallholder farming communities, which account for nearly two-thirds of the food consumed on the continent. Given appropriate production resources and linkages to markets, this demographic, comprising over 33 million households, may gradually transform the food choices available for the rest of the continent. This has already been shown by the successful commercialization of the orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) variety in countries like Kenya, Malawi and Rwanda. In Kenya alone, OFSP products raise over $5 million in revenues, through a demand that has helped increase the crop’s market value, and in turn, its commercial attractiveness to smallholder growers. More opportunities abound as the Vitamin-A rich variety is increasingly adopted by aid organizations for their humanitarian assistance products.

Meanwhile, indigenous foods must be continually explored in driving nutritional change amongst African countries, particularly in urban areas. Many researchers have found high nutritional value in traditional African vegetables, wild fruits and other indigenous crops, which are readily available or can be cultivated with minimal effort. However, these indigenous crops are increasingly marginalized as taste and diet preferences shift to exotic options, which are also increasingly available. However, for a complete transition to healthy food systems that do not leave anyone behind, it is important to lead a drive that integrates indigenous foods and ingredients in meal and diet plans.

In the long-run it is important to emphasize that the journey to well-nourished societies is one that requires the deliberate participation of all stakeholders, who must work towards a common goal. In the coming months, and as the continent prepares for different food system stocktakes, as well as progress tracking events like AGRF’s Food Systems Summit in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania in September, we hope to see stronger action aimed at transforming the nutritional wellbeing of the continent, for socio-economic prosperity.

Tiny but mighty beans made a splash at AGRF’s 2022 Summit in Rwanda 5-9 September. The SDG2 Advocacy Hub worked closely with partners – including PABRA, AGRA, CGIAR, the Rockefeller Foundation, and WFP – to plan a series of activities to promote the importance of beans, pique interest and unify stakeholders around the rallying call of doubling global bean consumption by 2028. This included announcements of the campaign, the promotion of the value of beans, local visits to school meals projects and farms, and an exhibition of local varieties of beans on display alongside bean artwork and the campaign promotional materials.

Joining President Kagame and other past and present African Heads of State at the AGRF Gala Dinner, representatives of the Chefs’ Manifesto – Chef Alejandra Schrader, Chef Christian Abegan, Chef Dennis Prescott, and Rwanda-based Chef Claude Bigamimpunzi – together with Paul Newnham, announced the upcoming Beans is How campaign. The Chefs served four diverse beans inspired dishes, promoting the beans’ nutritious and delicious value.

Beans is How is an ambitious campaign to double the global consumption of beans (as well as peas, pulses and legumes) by 2028. The campaign will look to engage key audiences across food systems and beyond to champion beans in their work: the farmers who grow them, scientists who study them, companies who sell them, chefs who serve them, and people who consume them. Everyone, everywhere has a role to play in elevating beans to their rightful place.

wanda is the highest consumer of beans per capita in the world, and thus the perfect place to announce the Beans is How campaign. With beans eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the world has a lot to learn from Rwanda’s example. Showcasing nine different varieties of beans purchased from Kigali’s Kimironko market, a beans pop up stand stopped AGRF participants in their tracks and served as a dedicated space to host conversations about:

• The importance of beans as a nutritious food that is accessible and affordable
• Beans as a climate-friendly and sustainable solution for people and planet
• Celebrating African ingredients and products from across the continent while promoting diverse crops and diets, especially for nutritious school meals

The stand also proudly featured a beans artwork by local artist Bernard Birasa that symbolizes beans as a powerful unifier and connector across the globe, alongside Beans is How branded banners.

Online, a holding message was released for the Beans is How website and social channels.

An article was placed in the New Times Rwanda by CGIAR on the PABRA 25 Years.

The First Lady of Rwanda, Mrs. Kagame, focused on the AU’s year of nutrition and school meals, made a commitment to continue to champion beans in Rwanda and lead the way for a continent-wide increase in production and consumption in a session she hosted for First Ladies.

The chefs and SDG2 Advocacy Hub team also joined the Pan African Bean Research Alliance (PABRA) in celebrating their 25-year anniversary. The chefs took part in panel discussions promoting beans consumption, media opportunities, and consumer behaviours, to school meals!

A delegation, including the chefs, also made multiple field trips around Rwanda to promote the values of Good Food For All and the Chefs’ Manifesto. This included:

• A visit to Farm Fresh Rwanda, a local company producing high iron beans
• A very special trip to visit Kayonza, for the School Meals Initiative where chefs met with a farmers cooperative and got to interact with farmers supplying fresh fruit and vegetables to the local school meal programs alongside the World Food Programme. They interacted with the school administrator and representative of the parents committee about how to increase nutrients whilst still making the food delicious.
• A visit with Africa Improved Foods to look at the process of fortifying staple foods, which aims to help people maximise their potential through improved nutrition with affordable, high quality, locally sourced foods.