Senior officials from the African Development Bank (AfDB) emphasized that transforming Africa’s food systems to achieve the continent’s hunger eradication goals requires sustained investments in quality seeds, technology, post-harvest storage, and value addition.
AfDB President Akinwumi Adesina highlighted that investing in agriculture is crucial for propelling Africa into a new era of industrial growth, food security, and export competitiveness. Speaking at the conclusion of a high-level conference titled “Scaling Finance for Smallholder Farmers in Africa” in Nairobi, Kenya, Adesina called on governments and the private sector to capitalize on the vast investment opportunities in Africa’s agriculture sector to drive growth and job creation.
Adesina stressed that unlocking the full potential of Africa’s agriculture—where over 70% of the sector remains subsistence-based—requires a combination of public and private sector investments in production, storage, agro-processing, and marketing. He revealed that the AfDB has prioritized funding for proven technologies, improving access to inputs like fertilizer and high-quality seeds, and building the capacity of smallholder farmers to enhance the resilience and productivity of the continent’s food systems.
Beth Dunford, AfDB Vice President for Agriculture, Human, and Social Development, emphasized the need for new investments to tackle persistent challenges facing Africa’s food systems, including limited access to quality seeds, weather-related shocks, post-harvest losses, and market volatility. She advocated for public-private partnerships to unlock investments in African agriculture, strengthen climate resilience, and ensure sustainable incomes for rural farmers.
The two-day forum, organized by the Kenyan government in collaboration with the AfDB and the Pan-African Farmers Organization, brought together nearly 300 delegates, including senior policymakers, industry leaders, donors, innovators, entrepreneurs, and farmers’ advocacy groups.
Source: Xinhua
