Africa challenged to improve agricultural output, food security

Keletso Thobega | Tuesday April 22, 2025 13:58

This will complement efforts to ensure that most African communities and households have access to affordable and quality nutrient dense food. Some buoyant development experts insist that Africa has the potential to feed itself and be a global food basket. But does it, or it is just a pipe dream? Well, the opportunities in agriculture are endless if key interventions are made to mitigate the challenges on the ground. According to the World Bank, the agriculture sector in Africa is anticipated to grow steadily in value from $330 million to $1 trillion by 2030. That is a lot of impact and profit money. The local market is huge too. Africa’s population is growing fast and is anticipated to reach 2.4 billion by 2050 from 1.6 billion (2024 figures). This means that there will be rise in food demand, which calls for the need to improve agriculture production, processing and trade on the continent, to avoid food shortages, hunger and malnutrition. The United Nations State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report indicates that over 40% of Africans are faced with food insecurity and an undernourishment prevalence of 20.4% (that is rough 298.4 million people) – which is over twice the global average. Low agriculture output on the continent is worsened by climate change and poor soil health. Improving agriculture output and attaining food security in Africa is currently a key priority, as stipulated in the African Union (AU) Agenda 2063 which outlines the need to achieve food security and transform the agriculture landscape in Africa.

In sub-Saharan Africa in particular, the gap between food production and food requirements has grown significantly over the years as populations increase. This has led to many Africans grappling with poor access to a diversity of fresh and nourishing foods. This calls for urgent interventions to ensure that Africa is food self-sufficient and develops a thriving agriculture sector. Agriculture forms a key component of the Africa-EU Partnership, which strives to foster sustainable economic, social and environmental development for Africa, and consolidate it in the Joint Vision for 2030, as agreed on at the sixth AU-EU Summit.

The Task Force Rural Africa (TFRA) was subsequently set up to advise the Agriculture Commission on how best to contribute to sustainable development and job creation in the agri-food sector, and implement mechanisms to bolster rural economy growth in line with the agriculture Marlboro Declaration.

In recent years, food insecurity in Southern Africa has been worsened by rising food prices due to cost of supply, and decreased food production due to climate change. But many passionate agri-preneurs across the production spectrum including small-scale farmers have risen to the challenge.

One such is a Botswana-based farmer, Tshireletso Seoromeng who runs ERBA farm in the village of Gabane in south east Botswana. She says climate change has brought a plethora of challenges to the average farmer in Southern Africa but that effort is better than lying on one’s laurels. She grows and sells culinary herbs, tomatoes, cabbage, lettuce and green peppers.

Seoromeng’s commercial farm supplies fresh produce to several markets, shops and restaurants in and around Botswana’s capital city Gaborone. What started off as a hobby for Seoromeng in 2018 has turned into a thriving agri-business that now employs six people.

She is adamant that investment in young farmers can pay good dividends in the long-term by creating a sustainable agriculture eco-system. “Youth are energetic and innovative – they have what it takes to contribute to a self-sustaining future for Africa,” she said.

She further said that it is also important to strengthen partnerships amongst government, the private sector and farmers, which is crucial to creating policy that prioritises climate resilient agriculture and water efficient techniques.

Soil data is the cornerstone of sustainable soil management because it helps monitor and assess soil health, guide climate change mitigation strategies and support decision -making in adaptation.

Agriculture consultant, Tlotlo Phuduhudu, said that while soil quality and health differ by region, it is still important to invest in soil sustainability because healthy soil is the backbone of good farming.

She explained that where things stand in order to adapt, farmers should adapt and implement practices such as crop rotation, conversion tillage – which helps with retaining moisture and nutrients, and organic fertilising.

Phuduhudu said it is important to educate farmers on soil types and soil management so that they can know which crops to plant or not, which in turn will lead to long-term agricultural sustainability. She said technology could come in handy.

“It could help with soil mapping and data analysis, and various software tools could assist with identifying the character of land and also collect information that would support tailored farming practices such as crop rotation and soil quality,” she said.

Soil health is increasingly recognised as a cornerstone of sustainable agriculture. As the foundation upon which plants grow and ecosystems thrive, healthy soil is critical for maintaining agricultural productivity and ensuring environmental sustainability.

In May 2024 at the Fertiliser and Soil Health Summit held in Kenya, AU-NEPAD and the Norway government pledged over $2 million towards a soil health programme that will be rolled out across Africa over the next three years.

The programme will benefit all AU member states in the backdrop of declining agriculture quality on account of poor accessibility, the high cost of fertilisers and the vulnerable state of Africa's soil health.

At the Fertiliser and Soil Health Summit, Norway Minister of International Development, Anne Tvinnereim, said the partnership was critical to achieving a meaningful impact in Africa's agriculture sector.

“The partnership aims to optimise data and information for active monitoring and evaluation of policies and farming practices' impact on soil health,” she said.

Director of Agriculture, Food Security and Environmental Sustainability at AU-NEPAD, Estherine Lisinge-Fatabong said climate change threats have worsened the challenges besieging the agriculture sector.

“It is not just feeding people that is of paramount importance but feeding them food that is nutritious and organic,” she said.

Lisinge-Fatabong addedthat it was important to finance projects aimed at soil health and empower small-holder farmers. “Focus must be on national and regional farming projects that ensure that people have sufficient produce.”

Other commitments made at the Summit include making efforts to reverse land degradation, promoting integrated soil and water conservation programmes, promoting investment in irrigation and strengthening national, regional, and international collaborative research on soil health.

Summit participants pledged to leverage opportunities offered by decentralised low-carbon and circular fertiliser production and establish SME ventures, especially those run by youth and women, orientated to the production and distribution of organic and inorganic fertilisers.

One critical intervention for a food secure Africa is the integration of sustainable agriculture in development agendas. This can help address food insecurity and foster sustainable economic growth.

The African Union Comprehensive Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) urges African government to allocate 10% of their national budgets to agriculture. The CAADP Strategy and Action Plan (2026 – 2035) aims to boost agri-food production by 45% in 2035.

It also aims to increase locally processed food to 35% of the agri-food GDP, reduce post-harvest loss by 50% and triple intra-Africa trade in agri-food. Together with the Kampala CAADP Declaration on building resilient and sustainable agri-food systems in Africa (adopted in 2025), it is anticipated to accelerate efforts towards food security and food sovereignty by 2035.

Some initiatives have proven to be a commendable effort towards preserving soils where food will grow. One example is the Soil Matters – Innovations for Soul health and Agro-ecology in Africa, which aims to contribute to a climate-relevant, productive, inclusive and sustainable transformation of agriculture and food systems in sub-Saharan Africa. The European Union (EU) has committed to supporting the project with a contribution of 10, 000, 000 Euro, which is part of a total budget of 12, 000, 000 Euro dedicated to addressing sustainability challenges faced by Africa’s agri-food systems, including soil degradation and climate change, and promoting agro-ecological practices and innovations that could benefit small-scale farmers and rural communities.

*Keletso Thobega is a development journalist & data consultant, and African Union Media Fellow (2023/24) and United Nations health reporting Fellow 2024. *This article was made possible by the African Union Media Fellowship, which is implemented by the African Union (AU) Information and Communication Directorate and supported by the European Union (EU).