Report: Scaling-up Investment in African Agriculture and Food Systems

At the 2014 African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF), the Kofi Annan Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation convened a business leaders, political representatives and civil society groups recognized for their commitment to agricultural development. The meeting built on the conclusions and recommendations that emerged from the High-Level Dialogue jointly hosted with the African Union Commission in Addis Ababa in November 2013, and focused on actionable steps that can be taken to help realize the full potential of African agriculture and food systems.

Recognizing the positive transformations that have started to take place in many African countries, meeting participants emphasized that all stakeholders have a role to play in scaling individual successes across Africa. They stressed that solutions must be inclusive, particularly of smallholder farmers, and must represent the diversity of interests in the agricultural sector: rural and urban populations, small and large farms, private and public sectors, raising the tide of all of Africa.

Nine specific actions were identified to extend and sustain the positive momentum we see in Africa, namely:

•Expand the food and agribusiness sector;

•Invest in critical infrastructure;

•Develop enabling national policies;

•Increase access to financial services;

•Prioritize climate-smart solutions;

•Reduce regional trade barriers;

•Target opportunities for youth and women;

•Improve access to information for better decision making and risk management;

•Invest in applied research to double yields without harming the environment.

This report is targeted at government, private sector and civil society and gives concrete recommendations to strengthening African agriculture and food systems.

Click here to download the PDF report (584.KB)