Africa’s food systems are facing unprecedented challenges such as 气候 change, geopolitical instability 和 rising food prices following the impacts of COVID-19 和 the Ukraine war. These challenges are aggravated by currency depreciation against the US dollar 和 difficult access to agricultural inputs within the continent.
Despite these critical challenges, Africa is a continent of untapped opportunity: it has the potential to feed itself 和 contribute to feeding the global population while contributing positively to our planet. This, however, requires tackling several core structural 和 socio-economic challenges. 第一个, we must empower smallholder 农民 to achieve their full potential 和 mobilize public 和 private investments to create more resilient supply chains. At the same time, we must scale up agricultural practices that improve food production while benefiting farmer livelihoods 和 being regenerative.
今年, the Africa 食物 Systems Forum (AGRF) was held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (5 – 8 September) under the theme "Recover, 再生, Act: Africa’s Solutions to 食物 Systems Transformation." More than 5400 delegates were mobilized to align on the required solutions to scale investments in Africa’s food systems, including heads of states, 部长, private sector, 农民, 学术界, NGOs 和 youth representatives.
During the AGRF summit, WBCSD co-hosted a session – in partnership with the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) -继续 sustainable sourcing in Africa as a tool for agri-food companies to better enable SME market access, strengthen business relationships with SME suppliers 和 address the structural bottlenecks preventing sustainable business development at the regional level. Leveraging procurement 和 sourcing practices to improve farmer incomes 和 livelihoods represents a critical lever to reduce supply risks, build resilient value chains 和 deliver against companies’ ESG targets.
识别 finance mechanisms customized to the specific needs 和 crop cycles of local 农民 emerged as a crucial strategy during this event. This approach has the potential to unleash the capabilities of African 农民, transforming them from subsistence agriculture practitioners into thriving 和 sustainable agricultural entrepreneurs. Both WBCSD 和 AGRA recognize finance as a catalyst for change, particularly in aiding 农民 as they shift towards regenerative agriculture practices. As such, both organizations will maintain their commitment to addressing this area. Additionally, the event highlighted the importance of capacity building as another key initiative. Empowering 农民 with the knowledge 和 skills to improve their farming practices in a sustainable manner not only enhances their resilience but also increases their income prospects.
“Sourcing 和 investing in Africa continues to be a huge 和 under-tapped opportunity. Let’s work harder to catalyze sustainable business 和 recognize Africa’s role in the global supply chain. Africa food 和 agribusiness leaders are not just producers; they are innovators, investors 和 advocates in the global market. Let’s leverage these partnerships.” – Vanessa Adams, Vice President, Strategic Partnerships 和 Chief of Party at AGRA
WBCSD has previously worked with its members on inclusive sourcing to strengthen suppliers to shape an equitable food system, focusing on women empowerment, innovating financing mechanisms, effective communication with suppliers, 和 capacity building. In our current strategy, WBCSD’s Equitable Livelihoods team is working with over 20 member companies engaged in a diverse range of agricultural value chains to promote responsible 和 sustainable corporate procurement practices to guarantee 农民 a living income. This project aims to accelerate business action to close farming households’ living income gaps, thus reducing poverty, promoting better livelihoods 和 reducing vulnerability to food 和 nutrition insecurity. The project builds on our earlier work from our 健康的 和 Sustainable Diets agenda on food affordability.
During the AGRF Summit, WBCSD also co-organized a side event focusing on how the private sector can help 增加食品 & nutrition security through sustainable intensification of local food production 和 economic empowerment of smallholders. During the session, we heard about the various initiatives that (OCP非洲, Fertilizer Canada, 荷兰合作银行 和 NMB银行 are spearheading to support African smallholder 农民 through capacity building, digitization 和 financial inclusion. WBCSD's special 食物 & Nutrition Security Taskforce will use insights from this session to develop its final recommendations for the November Council Meeting. We will also continue to support efforts led by the Zero Hunger Private Sector Pledge to drive further impact on food 和 nutrition security at the global level.
Following the AGRF Summit, we are continuing to mobilize the private sector for food system transformation in the lead up to regional events such as 瓦菲 (Beijing, China – November 2-4) as well as global events such as COP28 (Dubai, UAE – November 30-December 12). 在COP28, there will be a unique 和 formal opportunity to discuss how the agricultural sector can contribute to achieving global as well as national 气候 goals. High on the agenda will be regenerative agriculture, which is defined by our OP2B项目 as an outcome-based farming approach that generates agricultural products while improving soil health, 生物多样性, 气候, water resources 和 supporting 农民’ livelihoods.
