Escalating geopolitical tensions, growing food insecurity and mounting economic uncertainty are intensifying calls for African leaders to place agriculture at the centre of the continent’s development agenda. The ongoing conflict involving Iran is the latest disruption to challenge Africa’s pursuit of economic growth, peace and prosperity. Combined with weakening multilateral cooperation, declining global aid flows ...

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has emphasized the importance of regional cooperation in addressing food security challenges, even as economic growth across West Africa is expected to strengthen over the next three years. In its 2025–2027 Regional Economic Outlook, released on 9 June 2026, the ECOWAS Commission projects regional economic growth to ...

Rising Fuel Costs, Election Spending Pressures and Slower Lending Conditions Are Increasing Financial Strain Across Uganda’s Agricultural and Property Sectors UGANDA – Uganda’s agriculture and real estate sectors are facing mounting financial pressure as post-election uncertainty, rising fuel prices linked to the Middle East crisis, and tighter lending conditions weigh on business confidence and access ...

Ecobank and the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) have signed a new partnership agreement aimed at expanding financing access for African farmers, cooperatives and agribusinesses as institutions intensify efforts to strengthen the continent’s food systems and agricultural trade. The memorandum of understanding was signed on May 11 during the Africa Forward Summit ...

Africa’s agriculture sector is fast becoming one of the continent’s most compelling investment opportunities, driven by rapid population growth, technological innovation, infrastructure upgrades, and rising food demand. Despite agriculture employing more than 60% of Africa’s workforce and underpinning food security across the continent, the sector continues to receive disproportionately low funding. Only 4% of investment ...

A new generation of African agribusiness innovators is emerging as 20 high-growth startups from across the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa region join the Home-Grown Solutions Agribusiness Accelerator (HGSA-A). The initiative, delivered by E4Impact Africa Foundation and supported by African Union Development Agency, reflects a growing shift toward locally driven solutions to strengthen ...

The Kampala CAADP Declaration, adopted at the African Union Extraordinary Summit held in Kampala in January 2025, marks a decisive shift in Africa’s agricultural policy architecture. Rather than functioning as a continuation of previous Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) frameworks, the Declaration reframes CAADP into a 10-year Strategy and Action Plan (2026–2035) designed to ...

Africa holds immense promise in agriculture, with 60% of the world’s uncultivated arable land and a youthful population eager to contribute. Smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa already produce the majority of locally consumed food, and their traditional practices—like crop diversification and agroforestry—nurture soil health and sustainability. These strengths position the continent to shift from being ...

Policy Brief August 2025 South Africa’s Ministry of Agriculture has introduced a draft regulation aimed at enhancing transparency, safety, and consistency in the domestic sale of edible vegetable oils. Published under the Agricultural Product Standards Act, 1990 (Act No. 119 of 1990) and notified to the World Trade Organization (WTO) on 27 June 2025, the ...

As Sub-Saharan Africa faces mounting food insecurity, the Republic of Congo and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) have joined forces to harness the potential of e-commerce to drive agricultural development and improve access to food. A joint ECA/Congo mission was held in Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire from June 30 to July 4, bringing ...