By Emmanuel Aziebor
Agriculture is one of Africa’s biggest economic opportunities. More than half of the working population in sub-Saharan Africa depends on agriculture for a living, a sector that accounts for a quarter of the region's economy. The African Development Bank projects that the continent's agribusiness sector could be worth $1 trillion by 2030.
But that future won’t come to pass on its own. Sub-Saharan Africa has tapped just one per cent of its irrigation potential, mostly because the pumps that could unlock it are too costly for most smallholder farmers. The region also loses an estimated $4 billion every year to post-harvest waste, largely because of limited cold storage to stop food from spoiling before it gets to the shops. Efficient appliances and equipment can address these issues and unlock a $50 billion market.
This week, world leaders are gathered in Kigali for the Africa Food Systems Forum, and the conversation is predictably about money. Big, exciting numbers pledged on stage to fix Africa’s food systems. The real question is whether that money turns into higher productivity, more income, and more jobs.
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