Transform agri-food systems in Africa

A full-scale Africa-led agri-food system transformation will not be possible without game-changing solutions.It also needs to include greater investments in smallholder farmers and local organisations, structural transformation, innovations and partnerships at all levels.According to the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), this was a key takeaway from a high-level special event held on the sidelines of the UN Food Systems Summit +2 Stocktaking Moment held in Rome last week.The event took place under the theme &#039;Building Africa&#039;s food sovereignty and resilience through sustainable investments&#039;, and was organised by the Interdepartmental Task Force on African Affairs (IDTFAA).Unleash potentialViews were exchanged on how to seize momentum for the Africa-led transformation of agri-food systems to make them more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient, and more sustainable.The FAO Director General, Qu Dongyu, praised Africa’s strengths, such as its human and natural resources, while stressing that to unleash the full potential of these valuable assets, the continent needs game-changing decisions and actions.He said investing in social development, in particular for youth, women and smallholder farmers, is one of the key priority areas.Identify gapsQu also highlighted the need for a shift towards digital agriculture on the continent, saying that FAO has launched the 1 000 Digital Village Initiative, which seeks to identify 1 000 villages across the world and convert them into digital villages.In general, panellists also underscored the importance of strengthening resource mobilisation, improving government expenditure efficiency, particularly in the agricultural sector, improving the investment climate, and fixing failing financial architecture.They touched on the need to identify financing gaps, boost local production and improve rural infrastructure.The participants also emphasised the need to provide access for farmers to financial instruments and sufficient resources, innovations, technologies and markets. They also noted a vital role of private sector engagement and public-private partnerships in achieving efficient agri-food systems transformation.

Transform agri-food systems in Africa

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Namibian Sun 2025-09-19

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Transform agri-food systems in Africa

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Namibian Sun 2025-09-19

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