As regional and world leaders gather for the Africa Food Systems Forum (AFSF) in Dakar this week, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is stressing that investing in rural development and transforming food systems is essential to ending hunger, reducing poverty, and building long-term resilience to any type of shocks.
“Rather than handouts, rural youth need targeted investment that helps them build their own future. The way forward for transforming food systems is to focus on the areas where we can have the greatest impact–investing in rural communities, especially women and young people, to promote equitable growth, food security, and stability,” said IFAD President Alvaro Lario at the forum, and later reiterated in a bilateral meeting today with Bassirou Diomaye Faye, President of Senegal.
Food systems are not equitably redistributing the huge benefits they generate, perpetuating extreme poverty and inequality in Africa. Agriculture employs between 55–62 per cent of the sub-Saharan Africa workforce. An estimated 33 to 50 million smallholder farms in Africa produce up to 70-80 per cent of the continent’s food supply, clearly illustrating their pivotal role in the region’s economy and food systems.
“If we want to unleash the full potential of food systems transformation, we must channel resources toward innovative, inclusive and locally driven solutions that empower young rural people and small-scale farmers, who are the backbone of agriculture in Africa,” added the President of IFAD. “Collaboration of governments, the private sector and communities is key to ensuring food security and unlocking Africa’s vast agribusiness potential.”
IFAD’s priority: Africa’s young people
Africa is a priority for IFAD, representing 60 per cent of its current investment portfolio. Despite the challenges faced by young people, the continent’s large rural youth population represents a powerful force for innovation and transformation of the agrifood sector and for boosting rural economies.
To harness this capacity and dynamism, IFAD is investing in young people by providing employment and entrepreneurship opportunities, improving access to finance, and offering essential production assets and skills. Across its portfolio of loans and grants, IFAD expects to reach over 11 million young people in more than 90 countries, of which many are in Africa.
In Senegal, for instance, 10,000 young men and women across the country have chosen to return to rural areas thanks to the new decent employment opportunities generated through the IFAD-supported Agri-Jeunes Project. They are earning two to seven times the national minimum wage. With this type of investment in rural communities, youth are no longer compelled to move to cities to earn decent incomes.
The Africa Food Systems Forum (AFSF) is a multi-stakeholder platform for dialogue on agricultural transformation in Africa. It is positioned as the premier Africa’s gathering on agriculture and food systems. The annual event convenes African leaders, development partners, academics, farmer organizations and the private sector to highlight actions and innovations to accelerate food systems transformation in Africa, with a focus on empowering youth and women.
It also aims to provide a broad and inclusive African accountability platform to discuss policy and practice, and harness initiatives and partnerships dedicated to ensuring food security, reducing poverty and spurring profitable, inclusive and sustainable agriculture growth that will improve the lives of African smallholder farmers. The specific objective of the forum is to develop actionable plans for inclusive agricultural transformation in alignment with Malabo/ CAADP Results Framework.
IFAD” s President is participating in high-level sessions with stakeholders to listen, share insights and forge partnerships to enhance IFAD’s support for accelerated progress towards the Zero Hunger (SDG 2) and Climate Action (SDG 13) goals, as well as other SDGs.