AGRA Unveils $550 Million Fund To Tackle Food Insecurity In Africa

The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa $550 million fund in the next five years in a fight against food insecurity and climate change in Africa, as well as reducing dependency on imported food.

The fund will be used in seed system development, government engagement, improving agricultural supply chains as well as in expanding AGRA’s work in sustainable farming to boost agricultural production.

“We have demonstrated that when farmers have access to choices of inputs and when those inputs give a clear yield differential farmers adopt and their lives change. We have also seen that this only happens sustainably when markets are available to farmers” said AGRA’s President, Dr. Kalibata

The program is targeting 28 million farmers in 15 countries to enable their full participation in sustainably growing Africa’s food system. Under the program, AGRA will develop seed systems in 10 countries to ensure farmers get access to high-quality and affordable seeds.

The new Strategy also speaks to the need for businesses to recognize growth opportunities and have the confidence, financing, and capabilities to serve farmers, trade produce, and process food profitably. AGRA projects a 25 percent increase in funding for women-led SMEs, which will create new opportunities for women and youth to thrive in farming.

Many countries still struggle to achieve food security, with AGRA noting the urgent need for Africa’s food system’s radical transformation. Research by AGRA showed that despite Africa having some of the most arable lands in the world, the continent still has the lowest agricultural productivity, and one in five people on the continent is hungry.

Agricultural productivity increased by an average of 13 percent each year between 2015 and 2020. The group estimates that Africa imports at least $50 billion worth of food that can be produced locally, projecting an increase to $110 billion by 2030.

The group has made significant steps by working with governments to strengthen state capability, improve the policy environment, and boost regional market systems.

This is done in full realization that strengthening state capabilities and policies will incentivize private businesses to invest, which will lead to better-functioning systems that serve smallholder farmers.

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