The many challenges facing African agriculture
have led to high food-product imports that are expected to reach $110B by 2025. On a positive note, it is estimated that investments in agriculture can create markets worth $80B per year over 10 years, according to a report from the African Development Bank.
Given that the agricultural sector is still the primary source of employment for most African countries and that 60% of the world’s arable land is still uncultivated in Africa, African agriculture is poised to be an engine of economic growth and development. The urgency caused by challenges such as population growth, rapid urbanization, growth in the middle class and related diet transformation, and climate change means we must take a bold, innovative value-chain–oriented approach to transform the African agrifood system by developing and deploying appropriate, modern technologies.