(3 minutes read)
- More than six out of every 10 people in Sub-Saharan Africa work are involved in the agriculture sector, which have multi crops like cocoa, coffee, avocado, blackberry and a lot more
- The continent is the largest producer of cocoa used in making chocolate bars and other products. Ethiopia and Uganda-grow coffee beans, which dominate Africa’s coffee exports
- The total coffee exports last year was valued at close to US $2 billion.
More than six out of every 10 people in Sub-Saharan Africa work are involved in the agriculture sector, which have multi crops like cocoa, coffee, avocado, blackberry and a lot more. The continent is the largest producer of cocoa used in making chocolate bars and other products. Ethiopia and Uganda-grow coffee beans, which dominate Africa’s coffee exports. The total coffee exports last year was valued at close to US $2 billion.
There is a paradox. As African commodity exports are rising, the continent is increasingly facing food insecurity. The reason is not far to seek. The pace of agricultural growth is not picking up commensurate with the requirements. Steps are being taken to increase agricultural production. The African Development Bank Group’s call for increased investments in agricultural technologies that boost Africa’s food production and food security has come at the right time. Since the Bank launched its Feed Africa Strategy in 2015. More than 74 million people are benefiting from access to improved agricultural technologies.
The Bank’s flagship program, Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) has provided 11 million farmers across 29 African countries with proven agricultural technologies. These include drought-resistant maize, heat-resistant wheat, higher-yielding seed varieties and seed treatments to protect against pests like the fall armyworm, which has been devastating African crops.
