Africa’s agricultural landscape continues to transform with critical initiatives, urgent food security warnings, and bold new frameworks emerging across the continent. Here are the most significant agricultural stories from across Africa over the past week.
1. B20 Summit Warns: Africa Has Only Four Harvests to Change Food Security Trajectory
At the B20 Summit in South Africa, Debra Mallowah, Bayer Africa Head for Crop Science and B20 Task Force chairperson, issued an urgent warning that Africa is only four harvests away from a critical turning point for food security by 2030. The continent must strengthen systems capable of feeding an additional 200 million people by decade’s end.
The B20 Task Force identified three priority levers for transformation. First, improving intra-African trade flows could unlock $180 billion in agricultural export value and create 10 million jobs. Second, resilient supply chains require investments in processing capacity, rural transport, cold-chain systems, and warehousing that could lift regional GDP by 2% and improve livelihoods for 30 million people.
Mallowah emphasized that 70% of Africa’s food is produced by smallholder farmers, most of them women, and questioned how Africa’s food future could change if they received proper support. The Task Force stressed that transformation at scale requires private-sector investment partnered with government and community leadership. Without decisive action, Africa faces food price volatility, import dependence, climate shocks, and worsening rural poverty.
2. Kenya Faces Worsening Hunger Crisis Despite Government Optimism
Kenya has re-emerged as a hunger hotspot for the first time since 2024, with 2 million people projected to face acute food insecurity, according to the latest FAO and World Food Programme assessment covering November 2025 to May 2026.
Malnutrition rates are climbing dramatically, with 742,000 children under five projected to be acutely malnourished between April 2025 and March 2026, including 179,000 suffering severe acute malnutrition. More than 109,000 pregnant and breastfeeding mothers require nutritional support, representing a 22% increase in the highly food-insecure population.
The crisis stems from multiple factors. Climate models indicate below-average short rains between October and December 2025, particularly affecting pastoral counties like Turkana, Marsabit, and Wajir. In Kitui South, Makueni East, and Tharaka North, crop failures reached 80-100%. National maize prices were 15% higher in June 2025 than the previous year, and growing conflict over scarce resources in northern counties further disrupts livelihoods.
This assessment contrasts sharply with President William Ruto’s recent claims of food security, creating tension between government narrative and international assessments.
3. Kenya Unveils JobsConnect Compact to Create 6 Million Agriculture Jobs
Kenya became the first African nation to finalize the JobsConnect Compact framework, with Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe announcing plans to generate 6 million jobs by 2030 through agricultural modernization.
The strategy targets several ambitious outcomes: creating 5.3 million new and improved jobs, reducing the food-insecure population by 10 million, cutting food imports by 389 billion Kenyan shillings, and increasing agricultural export earnings by over 648 billion shillings. A central component is the new Kenya Agriculture Data and Information Centre (KADIC), which will consolidate all agricultural digitization efforts and integrate data from 31 ministry parastatals.
The initiative involves partnerships with the World Bank, Mastercard, Equity Group, Microsoft, and the Kenya National Federation of Farmers. However, success faces substantial hurdles. Youth aged 20-24 face a 16.8% unemployment rate, while Kenyans aged 15-34 face 67% unemployment. The plan’s reliance on technology must overcome high commercial interest rates of 18-19% that Cabinet Secretary Kagwe noted cannot sustain agricultural growth.
4. Ethiopia Launches Digital ePhyto System to Streamline Horticultural Exports
Ethiopia launched a new electronic phytosanitary certification platform this month aimed at improving export compliance and traceability across its horticultural sector. The Integrated Export and Import Certification System (IEICS) – e-Phyto Project, funded by the European Union and TradeMark Africa, was introduced in Addis Ababa.
The digital system is expected to reduce certification processing times from several days to just a few hours while introducing internal traceability throughout the export process. It also eliminates costs associated with lost or forged certificates, corruption, and physical document transfers. The platform will be rolled out nationwide within a month.
The timing is critical as the Ethiopian horticulture industry, particularly the flower sector, has faced tighter EU inspections following concerns over the False Codling Moth, classified as a quarantine risk. Ethiopia’s horticultural exports reached $564.9 million in the 2024/25 fiscal year, with more than half of flower exports destined for European markets. TradeMark Africa supported the system’s development with approximately $157,000.
5. HortiFlora Trade Fair Transitions to Annual Event
Following the success of its 2025 edition, HortiFlora is transitioning from a biennial to an annual event, reflecting growing international interest and Ethiopia’s expanding role in the global horticultural industry.
The April 2025 fair at Millennium Hall in Addis Ababa brought together over 100 exhibitors from Ethiopia and roughly 35 countries, showcasing flowers, fruits, vegetables, and herbs. The event demonstrated Ethiopia’s position as the world’s second-largest cut flower exporter in Africa after Kenya, with the horticulture sector employing nearly 200,000 people and women comprising over 75% of the workforce.
The transition to an annual event signals confidence in Ethiopia’s horticultural trajectory. The country launched a 10-Year National Horticulture Strategy earlier in 2025, focusing on improving food security, strengthening export markets, supporting agro-processing, and building infrastructure to help farmers increase incomes through better productivity.
6. Nigeria’s Cashew Industry Crisis Deepens Amid Export Debates
Nigeria’s cashew sector faces escalating tensions over industry direction and governance. The country processes less than 10% of its annual harvest while exporting the rest as raw nuts to Vietnam and India, missing out on $3.7 billion in potential revenue annually, according to the National Apex of Cashew Farmers president.
Cashew has over 40 by-products, with cashew nut shell liquid valued between $70 and $90 per litre, while carbon credits from cashew farming range between $150 to $500. However, farmers face exploitation by middlemen, lack of government support, and continuous cycles of debt to maintain farms.
The situation has been complicated by proposals to ban raw cashew exports to force local processing, which farmers strongly resist. The National Cashew Association argues that bans would depress farm-gate prices and impoverish millions of smallholder farmers. Instead, they propose Special Agro-Processing Loans at 5% interest or less to make processing competitive. The industry also faces leadership crises, with the federal government recently installing an interim national committee to restore order following years of constitutional violations.
7. South Africa’s Agriculture Rebounds Strongly from 2024 Drought
South Africa’s agricultural sector is experiencing remarkable resilience in 2025, transforming from devastating 2024 drought conditions into what experts describe as an excellent year for farming.
Agricultural exports to the United States were up 26% in the second quarter, and improved port efficiencies have transformed the export landscape. Collaborative efforts between Transnet and private sector partners mean agricultural exports reached impressive levels, with citrus growers and others no longer complaining about port delays.
Despite global trade tensions and a 30% US tariff imposed on South African exports, the sector shows optimism for the 2024-25 season. Farmers intend to plant 4.47 million hectares of summer grains and oilseeds, with La Niña weather patterns expected to bring above-normal rainfall, potentially leading to recovery from the previous year’s 22% drop in corn production that reduced output to 12.7 million tonnes.
8. Kenya Proposes 10-Day Climate Insurance Payout Rules
The Kenyan government is proposing new rules requiring insurers to pay out claims on weather-related policies within 10 days, aimed at shielding farmers from mounting climate change risks.
The draft regulation will govern the setting of premiums and settlement of claims under index-based (parametric) insurance, which pays out based on predetermined variables like rainfall rather than individual claim assessments. The framework requires insurers offering index insurance to design fair, transparent, and scientifically sound products.
Kenya, where agriculture accounts for more than a quarter of economic output, has seen an increase in droughts and floods due to climate change, yet fewer than 1% of farmers have insurance coverage, limiting access to credit. The African Reinsurance Corporation and International Finance Corporation are working together to accelerate adoption of affordable agricultural and climate insurance to protect smallholder farmers from extreme weather and other risks.
9. Africa Food Systems Summit Takes Climate-Smart Innovation Focus
The Africa Summit on Entrepreneurship and Innovation (ASENTI) 2025, held November 13-15 in Kigali, Rwanda, called for bold, technology-driven solutions to build resilient food systems as climate shocks intensify across the continent.
Panelists emphasized opportunities in climate-smart innovations including black soldier fly farming, solar irrigation systems, and azolla production, which are low-cost to produce but sell at high value. Young agripreneurs were encouraged to shift perceptions of agriculture from capital-intensive to innovation-driven ventures.
A Kenyan innovator, Naomi Natuku of Kilimo Ujuzi Agri Solutions, noted that climate change has already forced farmers to abandon traditional practices. Panelists stressed that young people need to structure business models to be climate-smart, facilitating agriculture’s transition from older to younger generations to tap into innovation and energy. The summit emphasized that support isn’t just financial but includes knowledge, tools, and capacity building.
10. Nigeria’s Inflation Eases but Food Prices Remain Elevated
Nigeria’s headline inflation rate eased to 18.02% in September 2025, signaling continued cooling of price pressures, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. However, agricultural challenges persist as the broader economic context affects farmers and consumers.
The improvement comes after extended periods of high inflation that strained household budgets and agricultural production. The agricultural sector continues grappling with high fertilizer costs, security challenges in farming regions, and infrastructure deficits that affect both production and distribution.
The inflation decline provides some relief to the agricultural sector, which has been operating under pressure from elevated input costs and market volatility. However, farmers continue advocating for better access to affordable credit, improved security in farming communities, and infrastructure investments to sustain food production and stabilize prices.
Looking Ahead: A Critical Juncture for African Agriculture
These developments paint a picture of African agriculture at a crossroads. The B20 Summit’s stark warning that the continent has only four harvests to transform food systems underscores the urgency of current challenges. With 2 million Kenyans facing acute food insecurity despite government claims of food security, and similar crises brewing across the continent, the gap between policy ambitions and on-ground realities remains troubling.
Yet there are genuine reasons for optimism. Kenya’s 6 million jobs initiative, Ethiopia’s digital export systems, and South Africa’s agricultural rebound demonstrate that African nations are actively pursuing transformation. The transition of major agricultural events like HortiFlora to annual formats signals growing investor confidence, while innovations in climate insurance and digital agriculture show the sector’s evolution.
The key themes emerging across the continent include the critical importance of climate adaptation, the need to support smallholder farmers who produce 70% of Africa’s food, and the imperative to add value locally rather than exporting raw materials. Success will require the private-sector investment and government leadership partnerships that the B20 Task Force emphasized, combined with urgent action on infrastructure, trade barriers, and farmer support systems.
As the continent approaches 2030 with just four harvests to fundamentally shift its food security trajectory, the agricultural stories of the next few years will likely determine whether Africa can feed its rapidly growing population or face deepening hunger crises. The tools, knowledge, and partnerships are increasingly in place. What remains to be seen is whether they can be deployed with the speed and scale that the moment demands.
Published: November 22, 2025