Any initiative whose aim is to reduce poverty in Africa should focus first on agriculture. But what kind of investment has the greatest impact? The use of scientific criteria provides some answers.
Burkina Faso: Rice farmers threshing in Bobo-Dioulasso. (c) Eli Wortmann-Kolundžija/ZEF
Dr. Heike Baumüller is a Senior Researcher at the Center for Development Research (ZEF), University of Bonn, operates and coordinates the accompanying research for agricultural innovation (PARI).
Center for Development Research of the University of Bonn
In Africa, most people’s livelihoods are heavily dependent on agriculture, so the returns on investment in terms of poverty reduction effects are often highest in this sector. Food insecurity can also trigger violent conflicts and cause refugee flows. Innovation in the agricultural sector, then, can do much to sustainably increase African productivity while enhancing food security, preventing conflict and maintaining environmental quality and resources.
This complex nexus is being investigated by the partners in the Program of Accompanying Research for Agricultural Innovation (PARI), a research project involving institutions in Africa, India and Germany. They have identified which specific conditions need to be in place for investment to have maximum impact.
Investing in research and development
Figute 1: How innovation creates growth. Sources: Fuglie, K. et al. (2013); von Braun (2016)
The current growth in agricultural production in Africa can be supported through investment in research and development. In the past 15 years, sub-Saharan African countries have experienced the longest period of economic and agricultural growth since independence – a good starting point for successful investment. Despite this positive growth trajectory, per capita agricultural production and the productivity of capital and labour in many African countries are still trailing behind 1960s levels. Enhanced investment in research and development is essential in improving this situation (see Figure 1). Furthermore, labour is in many cases the predominant asset of the poor, so improving labour productivity is a key factor in achieving sustainable and equitable agricultural growth.
Tailor-made innovation
Figure 2: Agricultural diversity in Africa (with PARI partner countries marked). Data source: Dixon, Garrity and Boffa (2014). Cartography: Christine Husmann.
Innovations must be tailored to the specific conditions in place in the region’s agricultural sector. In sub-Saharan Africa, many diverse types of farm exist, with their own specific potential and challenges, which also vary considerably within countries (see Figure 2; for further details, see the Africa-wide PARI Study and the PARI Country Dossiers). The majority of farmers are still operating on farms with less than two hectares. Innovation for agricultural growth must therefore take account of the challenges and potential of these diverse but mainly small farms. The ‘sustainable intensification’ paradigm which supports progress towards environmental and socioeconomic goals while preserving agricultural diversity is significant in this context.
Agriculture and food security are high on the African political agenda. African agricultural policy has reduced its exposure to external influences, and the development of this sector is now a key priority for the African Union. With their endorsement of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) in 2003, the African countries committed to achieving an annual agricultural growth rate averaging six per cent while reducing poverty and improving food security. Many of the continent’s countries are making significant progress in these areas.
For the past decade or so, African agriculture has progressed along a positive development trajectory – one which, however, must continue over the longer term if it is to qualify as sustainable. While there is growing political support for innovations in agriculture – for example, through the Science Agenda for Agriculture in Africa (S3A) and the Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa 2024 (STISA-2024) – this has not been matched by sufficient increases in R&D investment.
Within the PARI framework, criteria and principles to map out the strategic direction for development investment in Africa – meaning investment which supports sustainable growth in line with good development practice – have been proposed. They place emphasis on partner country leadership and also consider the high expected returns on investment for sustainable agricultural growth and food security.
a) Development investment must focus on results
Development investment must bring benefits for the hungry and have positive impacts on jobs and incomes for small businesses and rural areas, with a particular focus on women and young people. It must also yield comparative advantages in production and offer scope for upscaling.
b) Development investment must link to the existing set of political initiatives
This is important in ensuring policy coherence, particularly with CAADP. Investment must also be harmonised with the African initiatives mentioned above, which promote innovation in agriculture.
c) Investment should focus on the countries and regions with the greatest potential
The most suitable countries for development investment can be identified by analysing the past performance of all sub-Saharan African countries over the last 10 years, based on the following criteria:
Was agricultural growth achieved (comparative advantages, sustainability, nutrition-sensitive agriculture)?
Is innovation encouraged (productivity, research, farmers’ education)?
Does policy-making support the process (participation in CAADP)?
Is hunger being reduced (current status and trends in malnutrition)?
Substantial progress on CAADP and improvements in productivity serve as an indication of political support and are a sign that good investment conditions are in place in the country concerned. Cooperation with countries which have not begun to develop a strategy should therefore be viewed critically. Investment needs to be targeted towards countries where hunger is still a major challenge. Recent successes in combating hunger may be regarded as a good indicator of political support.
If these criteria are applied, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, Kenya, Niger, Malawi, Senegal, the Republic of the Congo (Brazzaville), Mali and Zambia are among the ‘top ten’ countries where development investment makes good sense.
Figure 3: Sub-national analysis of potential: Ghana. Source: Torero and Maruyama (2016)
Furthermore, an analysis of in-country potential is essential in order to identify regions where investment aimed at increasing agricultural efficiency can have the greatest impact on poverty. PARI produces these data by analysing information about the potential and efficiency of the agricultural sector and poverty figures for the country concerned (see Figure 3 on Ghana, Progress Report).
d) Investment should be based on sound principles
Investment should be guided by principles of good governance and a commitment to low transaction costs. Partnership principles need to be accompanied by strong monitoring and evaluation systems that assess progress towards the goals set. There are many lessons to be learned from existing initiatives: the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), for example, has established independent evaluation panels that assess potential investment projects. It would also be desirable to link with the country level review and dialogue processes to facilitate learning and develop the partnerships needed for scaling up innovations.
Joint engagement for agriculture and food security should leverage the characteristic strengths of development partners, such as Germany, in response to Africa’s needs. In this way, development investment can make a major contribution to the implementation of the wider African agenda in line with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals.
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Indian farmers restore precious soil material combining traditional with innovative approaches. A case example how governance, agriculture and development cooperation can work together to combat climate change.
At the ICTforAg conference in March 2022, the digital agriculture community exchanged on the challenges and opportunities associated with the next green revolution.
Based on a scientific study by TMG Think Tank, the authors highlight various challenges in the fight against the hunger crisis. The findings show that climate change, conflict and covid-19 are increasing food and energy prices.
Nations adopted four goals and 23 targets for 2030 to foster biodiversity conservation and counter acceleration in the global rate of species extinction at the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15).
The potential the African food sector holds is still far too strongly associated with the continent’s natural resources, Ben Leyka maintains. He seeks to change this with the African Agri Council.
After a two-year break due to Corona, the doors of the International Green Week (IGW) in Berlin are opening again. From 20th to 29th January, visitors from all over the world can discover, marvel and taste the produce. But the event is not only feasting and fun. The BMZ stand asks questions about where food comes from & where it goes – and in the process becomes a crash test for many habits.
Regarding deforestation free supply chains, there are challenges and opportunities for smallholder farmers as well as for international forest governance. Also, responsibilities for companies and potential incentives for manufacturers to use materials from fair trade and sustainable sources need to be explored. But what does “deforestation-free” actually mean?
The Africa Agriculture Trade Monitor 2022 (AATM) was published by IFPRI and AKADEMIYA2063. The report analyses the short- and long-term trends and drivers of African agricultural trade flows, including regional policies and the role of global markets.
The German government is struggling to pass a supply chain law. It is intended to address violations of human rights, social and environmental standards. What would the consequences be for business? A double interview with Veselina Vasileva from GEPA and economics professor Andreas Freytag.
Protectionist policies like tariffs supposedly protect domestic producers if they cannot compete with cheaper imported products. Some African countries have therefore opted to impose such import restrictions for a number of products. For the case of chicken imports in Ghana, this study analyses whether restrictions would lead to overall positive or negative welfare effects among households.
Kenya is a large importer of vetable oils mainly from Indonesia and Malaysia - amongst them sunflower oil. Due to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, there were supply bottlenecks and food shortages, leading to less affordable vegetable oils in Kenya. As a response to the lack of supply, the Sanga'alo Institute of Science and Technology, took that impulse, teamed up with the GIZ and established regional cultivation and refinement of sunflowers.
Four interviews kick off the relaunch under the new name „Food4Transformation“, asking the same questions from different perspectives. "Women and young people need access to land. And they need financial support to cultivate this land." - says Kolyang Palebele, President of the Pan African Farmers Organisation (PAFO).
Agrivoltaics is a concept that combines photovoltaic electricity generation and agricultural production, providing the opportunity for a more efficient land use and contributing overall to the integration of food, energy and water systems. This can be particularly interesting for countries in the Global South, where rural electrification rates are often low and food security needs to be improved.
A Contribution by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development
At the network meeting "Partners for change - Transformation to a food secure, resilient and sustainable future", almost 250 participants from over 20 countries came together to exchange experiences and ideas on the transformation of agricultural and food systems. The final product, joint recommendations to transform agricultural and food systems, can now be read online.
Halfway through the 2030 Agenda, the BMZ invited participants to a network meeting entitled "Partners for change - Transformation to a food secure, resilient and sustainable future". Experts from around the world developed recommendations in a consultation process and then consolidated them in Berlin. A site visit.
Given the urgency of transforming agricultural and food systems, GIZ India's Food Systems and Agroecology Working Group is exploring the potential of agroecology in collaboration with Think20 partners. A policy brief has now been published.
Small farmers in developing countries must modernise their farming methods, but poorly understood reforms could exacerbate poverty instead of alleviating it.
Happy youngsters in rural areas, green development and the connection to the digital age – professor Joachim von Braun believes in this future sceneraio for Africa. For three decades the agricultural scienties has been researching how politics can create prosperty on the continent.
In August, Germany’s development ministry set up a division concentrating on One Health topics. Parliamentary State Secretary Maria Flachsbarth on knowledge gaps at the human-animal-environmental interface, the link between One Health and food security, and lessons learnt from previous pandemics.
Startups are booming in African agriculture. What are the current trend and challenges – and can other regions benefit from innovative approaches? A Video-Interview with Claudia Makadristo, Regional Manager of Seedstars
A conversation with aquatic researcher Shakuntala Thilsted on the long-neglected nutrition benefits of aquatic diets and the empowering qualities of a sustainable aqua-food systems transformation.
At the UNCCD COP15, the Töpfer Müller Gaßner Think Tank (TMG) hosted four side events. The agenda of the kick-off event included discussions for the Human Rights and Land Navigator.
A Contribution by Adrian Muller, Catherine Pfeifer and Jürn Sanders (FiBL)
Taking Biodiversity Focus Areas under production or abandoning lower yielding, more extensive production systems is the wrong approach to mastering the looming global food crisis, say the authors of the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL).
Taking a look at the data (as of February 11th 2022) what the current price hike means for world hunger and what can be done to prevent from another food crisis.
Interview with Caroline Milow and Ramon Brentführer
Groundwater resources remain dormant in the soil of African regions. Where does it make sense to use them – and where does overexploitation of nature begin? Caroline Milow (GIZ) and Ramon Brentführer (BGR) talk about potentials in the future and lessons from the past.
Agriculture is coming under pressure worldwide: bacteria, viruses and insects are causing problems for crops. In Palestine, Dr. Rana Samara from the Palestinian Academy of Science and Technology is researching solutions to the problem. And she finds them in nature itself.
Countries across Africa coordinate their efforts in the fight against corona by the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) of the African Union in Addis Abeba. Until now, the curve of new infections has been successfully flattened – why? Dr. Ahmed Ouma, Deputy Director, explains the work of CDC in an interview with Tilman Wörtz.
Innovation is the only way to end hunger worldwide by the deadline we have set ourselves. The secret lies in networking and sharing ideas – and several initiatives are already leading by example.
After four years of Donald Trump in the White House, it is time to take stock: What policies did the Republican government pursue in African regions? And what will change in favor of Joe Biden after the election decision? Here is an evaluation.
Corona makes it even more difficult to achieve a world without hunger by 2030. So that this perspective does not get out of sight, Germany must play a stronger role internationally - a summary of the Strategic Advisory Group of SEWOH.
Time to dig deeper: We can only benefit from technical progress if we have a solid legal framework for everybody. But so far, none is in sight - in many countries. Instead, international corporations grow ever more powerful.
The Cashew Council is the first international organisation for a raw material stemming from Africa. The industry promises to make progress in processing and refining cashew nuts - and answers to climate change
Agnes Kalibata, AGRA president since 2014 and former minister of agriculture and wildlife in Rwanda, is convinced that Africa's economy will only grow sustainably if small-scale agriculture is also seen as an opportunity.
From a circular food system in Rwanda to functioning cooled transports in Kenya: The lab of tomorrow addresses development challenges such as preventing food loss and waste
In Zambia, innovative approaches are used to address the problem of post-harvest losses in the groundnut value chain. GIZ's Rapid Loss Appraisal Tool (RLAT) can help to develop more such approaches.
The climate crisis fuels world hunger. What needs to change in the global fight against hunger, and which role plays humanitarian aid in international development cooperation?
In March 2022, the virtual conference ICTforAg summons leading actors in the agrartechnology and food sector from low- and middle-income countries to exchange ideas advancing resilience, nutrition and agriculture-led growth.
The oceans are important for our food supply, but they are overfished. To halt this trend the global community is now taking action against illegal fishing. Journalist Jan Rübel spoke with Francesco Marí, a specialist for world food, agricultural trade and maritime policy at "Brot für die Welt," and others.
When women have control over the resources of a household and manage the income, it usually leads to a more balanced and healthier diet for the family. But often the decision-making power lies with the men. How can this gender inequality be addressed? The GIZ global project Food Security and Resilience provides insights into project work on gender-transformative approaches finances by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
A Contribution by Harry Hoffmann (TMG) & Nathalie Demel (WHH)
At the halfway mark of the 2030 Agenda and two years after the UN Food System Summit 2021, a stocktaking moment was held in Rome to analyze the progress of countries on the commitments to action in transforming food systems. Dr Harry Hoffmann, TMG Think Tank, and Nathalie Demel, Welthungerhilfe, were on site and take stock as well.
It takes the joint efforts of diverse actors to achieve a transformative impact on the global food system. Barbara Rehbinder, Scaling Up Nutrition Movement (SUN), discusses four people-centred principles to get closer to this goal.
Does Africa's youth want to live in the city or in the country? Which career path seems particularly attractive? And how optimistic are the young people about the future? Young adults from rural areas answered these questions by SMS.
How can agriculture modernise Africa? And does the road to the cities really lead out of poverty? Dr. Reiner Klingholz from the Berlin Institute for Population and Development in conversation with Jan Rübel .
In western Africa a new middle class is emerging. Their consumer behaviour is determining the demand for products – home-produced and imported goods, on the internet or at the village market. The people of Ivory Coast in particular are looking to the future with optimism.
A report by T. S. Jayne, A. Adelaja and R. Mkandawire
Thirty years ago, Africa was synonymous with war, famine and poverty. That narrative is clearly outdated. African living standards are rising remarkably fast. Our authors are convinced that improving education and entrepreneurship will ensure irreversible progress in the region even as it confronts COVID-19.
A contribution by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Africa’s population is young and ready to take its destiny into its own hands. Agriculture offers amazing opportunities in this regard. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation wants to support the next generation in this way.
A quick and cost-effective method calculates living wages and incomes for many different countries. The GIZ together with Fairtrade International and Richard and Martha Anker have developed a tool that companies can use to easily analyse income and wage gaps.
At the moment, the agricultural industries of African countries exist in relative isolation. Imagine peasant farmers digitally connected to the value chains of the global food industry. How could this happen? A guidebook.
Interview with Gnininkaboka Dabiré and Innocent Somé
Later on you want to become a farmer yourself, or would you prefer to take up another profession? Two young people from Burkina-Faso talked to representatives of the Dreyer Foundation about their parents' farms, the profession of farmer and their own plans for the future.
The soybean is a natural crop that can be used to make a lot of food. So, Tata Bi started a small processing business first on her own, then with a few other women, which provides the women with an additional source of income year-round besides selling the soybeans.
In the tropics rainforests are still being felled for the production of palm oil, meat and furniture. It is high time to act. Proposals are on the table.
The world’s population keeps on growing; with this rise comes an increased need for food as well as productive employment opportunities. Offering young people in rural areas better employment prospects is one of the objectives of the sector project. The young population is the key to a modern and efficient agricultural economy.
In October, the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) adopted policy recommendations ‘Promoting Youth Engagement and Employment in Agriculture and Food Systems’. Anke Oppermann answers five questions on youth employment in the agricultural sector.
Priscilla Impraim is one of the first women in Ghana to enter the chocolate business. Despite some hurdles, she founded the company Ab Ovo Confectionery Limited in 2006 with currently six permanent employees and 25 seasonal employees.
Saskia Widenhorn, Head of the Cotton Component in Cameroon and the Sub-Saharan Cotton Initiative at GIZ, reports on the Bremer Cotton Week, which brought together international industry experts. The agenda included supply chain transparency, sustainability and new forms of cooperation between the private sector and partner countries.
Three female entrepreneurs from Mozambique, Sri Lanka and Uganda tell their stories about starting organic businesses from scratch, now selling Baobab Oil, Gotukola powder and Shea butter in international markets. And they explain why their business is almost 100 percent female.
There are only about 1 million jobs in the East African country. The majority of the population works in the informal sector, and it can be difficult for them to find customers. Biscate offers a digital solution - without the need for internet, data or smartphones.
Together they are stronger: In many African countries, young men and women are coming together to form youth organisations. These organisations help young people in rural areas to earn a living in the agricultural and food sector, creating prospects for the future in rural areas.
gebana, a Swiss fair trade company, follows the principle of "sharing" with its corporate philosophy: farming families in the Global South participate directly in the sales of their online shop. Caroline Schaar, Marketing at gebana, explains the company's approach.
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