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.
