ECA Calls for Urgent Action to Reform Africa’s Food Systems to Enable Them to Reduce Food Import Dependency
At the 2025 Africa Food Systems Forum in Dakar, Senegal, Claver Gatete, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), called for swift action to transform food systems in Africa. Africa has more than 60% of the world’s uncultivated arable land as well as abundant access to water, but food insecurity continues to grow. Food imports in Africa reached $115 billion in 2024, which is quite a paradox on a continent endowed with resources – a continent that is reliant on external food supplies.
The key recommendations for transformation:
Gatete announced several actions that would address food security on the continent:
Implement the CAADP (International Conference on Agricultural Development for Africa) Strategy and Action Plan (2026–2035). The action plan has ambitious goals to enhance agrifood output by 45% in the agriculture production and processing system, reduce post-harvest losses by 50%, and improve the levels of local food processing by 35%.
Mobilize domestic resources: Africa should start using innovative financial models to finance agricultural transformation. For example, they can use green bonds, diaspora remittances, and pension funds.
Invest in rural infrastructures: Rural infrastructures need to be improved to enhance productivity in order to improve the food distribution value chain throughout the entire continent.
Put youth and women at the centre: A crucial part of agricultural transformation is about placing young people and women at the centre of such transformation so that they can be drivers of innovation and inclusion.
Facilitate intra-African trade: The full implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) will remove barriers to trade in Africa which will increase intra-African agrifood exports by as much as 60% by 2045.
Despite the improvement in agricultural output in the past number of years, food systems in Africa are still lagging behind as demonstrated by the rise in hunger globally, climate change, and lack of capital in agriculture. Approximately 282 million Africans are undernourished and one in three children are stunted. Transforming food equity requires that a whole systems approach, that takes all aspects of food production, nutrition, environment, trade, financial, rules of law, and governance into consideration.
ECA’s call to action articulates the urgency of transforming food systems in Africa in order to see food sovereignty, economic resilience, and sustainable development come to fruition. By aligning national public budgets with commitments to food systems and scaling cooperative and innovative financing for women and youth, Africa can shape its own future together; one that is more secure and prosperous.