How Africa can increase their odds of a successful agricultural transformation.

The most effective way to improve the lives of millions in poverty is to support agriculture in developing countries.

Most of the world’s poor are farmers, and those who are not spend much of their income on food.

Transforming a country’s agriculture sector can create jobs, raise incomes, reduce malnutrition, and kick-start the economy on a path to middle-income growth. In fact, almost every industrialized nation began its economic ascent with an agricultural transformation.

For some, agricultural transformation has not advanced as planned or has stalled. Navigating the complexity of a transformation is invariably tough for governments, even though they may prioritize agricultural investment and recognize how important it is to get right.

This is especially true in an era in which governments are seeking agricultural transformations that meet multiple goals simultaneously.

In addition to traditional economic development and poverty reduction goals, governments are also focusing their agricultural transformation plans on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by considering, for example, climate-smart strategies, women’s economic empowerment, and biodiversity.

Developing an agricultural transformation plan demands prioritization, a plan will not succeed if it tries to cover everything. Instead, it should focus on the changes that are most likely to kick-start rural economic growth.

Agricultural transformations often focus too much on volume rather than value and on productivity of row crops rather than opportunities for high-value crops, downstream processing, and livestock.

The success of any agricultural transformation relies on how well millions of smallholders and small and medium-size enterprises can be helped to change farming practices as quickly and effectively as possible.

The critical enabler, without which an agricultural transformation is likely to fail, is a frontline “change agent” that helps farmers modify their practices. Change agents are people who farmers trust and interact with regularly, and they exist in both public and private sector.

Change in agricultural systems requires multiple parallel advancements. For example, improvements in agricultural extension and seed systems might enable farmers to switch to a more productive hybrid seed.

Amidst all these, the most important factor in the soft side is the willingness of governments, donors, farmers, companies, and civil society organizations to take risks and change behaviors to pursue a better outcome.

Agricultural transformation is essential to the future well-being of developing nations and therefore also to a world with more equitable economic development.

Because of this, we need to invest on better methods like the right technologies, sustainable policies and the most important is the political goodwill.

With all these, Africa can transform its agriculture and becomes the globe’s bread basket.

Chopped by

Benard Ogembo