Break the status quo to transform African food systems

Last week I joined the AFS Forum summit in Rwanda to address nutritious food systems and food security. The AGRF, one of the top forums for driving the food and agriculture agenda, is a stepping stone to unite, act and accelerate food system transformation in the African continent. To drive the agenda further, I also attended yesterday a Dutch parliament roundtable conversation about foreign trade and development aid, expressing we need to break the status quo to transform African food systems: from importing to becoming self-sufficient, from calories to nutrients, from emergency aid to structural and long-term investments, and from extractive to regenerative agriculture.

Now, after talking about taking actionable steps to build more resilient food systems in Africa, especially in a time of constant crises, it is time to take those steps.?

African Food systems can be set up to prosper, generate prosperity for its people and planet, and could contribute to the SDGs. If they are to be transformed into a food system in which sufficient, nutritious food is produced and delivered in a sustainable, inclusive way, by African SMEs, smallholder farmers and a private sector that is operating in a robust enabling environment.

There is no silver bullet nor a single solution when it comes to tackling all food problems. It has become clear that a more holistic framework is needed to address these complex issues.

If we want to have a transformational impact on African food systems, we need to address multiple systemic issues in parallel. These include, among others, the enabling environment, business and financial services, and related socio-economic and environmental drivers.

Lack of investments in agriculture and food, and absence of well-coordinated and targeted collaborative efforts at scale of actors involved in food system transformation hamper acceleration in food system transformation.

We will need to go beyond the focus on a single actor, company, sector, value chain or farming system. We need to identify systemic drivers that operate within complex systems of relationships between actors.

A transformed food system in Africa to a better food business will address domestic food demand and deficits, generate employment for youth and women, and increase sustainable incomes for farmer households.

It strengthens regenerative agriculture and climate resiliency.

It ensures intra-African trade.

To become a food system that provides for long-term needs and help people adapt to the fast passed environment that surrounds us.

We are ready to take the steps, in multistakeholder partnerships to leverage each other’s strengths and scale up.

Our network and leaders in Sub-Saharan Africa are building strong regional value chains and trade, in partnerships that create an enabling environment, to remake food systems that work for people and planet.?

During my days in Rwanda, I had the privilege to also visit our partners in the country. Such as African Improved Food, who are making efforts to source maize locally from some 15 cooperatives. And for example, Garden Fresh, a Rwandan company specializing in the export of fresh produce. They have just opened Rwanda’s first privately owned packhouse, a critical infrastructure linking the farm and the market. This packhouse will not only reduce post-harvest loss, but also provide employment to some 300 Rwandan women and youth.??

There are many more of such activities out there.

Let’s find the synergies, and step up our efforts. ?