Strengthening Partnerships for Sustainable Agrifood System Development in Africa

This research paper evaluates the partnership between Germany and African nations regarding agrifood systems transformation. It identifies a predominant reliance on aid-based cooperation and recommends a strategic shift toward private sector-led investment, trade promotion, and the development of regional agricultural value chains to enhance food security and economic growth.

• Germany's engagement with African agrifood systems is primarily characterized by aid provision, with insufficient promotion of the private sector's role in transformation. The study suggests a paradigm shift from "aid provision to investment and trade", prioritizing market-oriented and private-sector-led initiatives.
• The German government, specifically through the BMZ, invests an estimated EUR 2 billion annually in global food security and rural development, with approximately one third of this funding directed toward 25 participating countries in Africa. However, these resources are deemed inadequate relative to the scale required for effective continental transformation.
• Germany's support is implemented through several key institutions: the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL), and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). These entities focus on areas such as agricultural finance, policy support, and the implementation of transformation strategies.
• African agrifood systems face significant stagnation, with agricultural growth averaging 2.6% per year, falling short of the 6% target set under the Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP). Only the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) region exceeded this target, reaching 8.23% as of 2022.
• Intra-African food trade remains low, with African countries obtaining only 22.9% of their food import demand from other African nations. This is significantly lower than the over 50% intra-regional trade seen in the EU, Asia, and Latin America.
• The study highlights the 'Kampala Declaration' as a critical 10-year strategy (2026-2035) for building resilient agrifood systems. It recommends that Germany and other partners sign a comprehensive partnership agreement to support this agenda and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

APA

Kingstone (2025). Strengthening Partnerships for Sustainable Agrifood System Development in Africa. Africa Policy Research Institute. https://afripoli.org/strengthening-partnerships-for-sustainable-agrifood-system-development-in-africa

Chicago

Kingstone. Strengthening Partnerships for Sustainable Agrifood System Development in Africa. Africa Policy Research Institute, 2025. https://afripoli.org/strengthening-partnerships-for-sustainable-agrifood-system-development-in-africa.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Kingstone |title=Strengthening Partnerships for Sustainable Agrifood System Development in Africa |publisher=Africa Policy Research Institute |date=30 June 2025 |url=https://afripoli.org/strengthening-partnerships-for-sustainable-agrifood-system-development-in-africa |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{kingstone2025strengthening, author = {Kingstone}, title = {{Strengthening Partnerships for Sustainable Agrifood System Development in Africa}}, institution = {Africa Policy Research Institute}, year = {2025}, month = jun, url = {https://afripoli.org/strengthening-partnerships-for-sustainable-agrifood-system-development-in-africa}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }