ABIDJAN/Ivory Coast: Agricultural experts attending the 6th Africa Resilience Forum in Abidjan have called on African governments to place greater value on farmers, urging a shift from viewing them as recipients of aid to recognizing them as central providers in the continent’s food systems.
“Agriculture dominates crisis zones. We are told that without peace, there can be no development. But without food, there is no peace. Farmers must be part of the policy discussions,” said Roland Fomundam, CEO of Cameroonian greenhouse producer Greenhouse Ventures. “Too often, policies are made without consulting those who produce the food. It is time to engage farmers directly and discuss solutions that affect them.”
Beth Bechdol, Deputy Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), emphasized that farmers are a key private sector force. “They invest, innovate, and find solutions. To make a real impact on populations, we need to measure progress differently, for example, by tracking improvements in producers’ incomes over time,” she said.
The comments came during a panel discussion titled “Achieving resilient and transformative impact for large-scale food security in Africa” on the Forum’s second day. Other panelists included Abdilhakim Yusuf Ali Ainte, Director of the Food Security and Climate Department of Somalia; Martin Fregene, Director of the Agriculture and Agribusiness Department of the Development Bank Group; Rania Dagash-Kamara, Deputy Executive Director for Partnerships and Resource Mobilization at the World Food Programme; and Kenyan agripreneur Felista Nyakio.
Drawing on Somalia’s experience, Ainte said the country had mobilized $6 billion through its private sector to strengthen human capital and save lives. “The private sector is our most important resource. Sustainable solutions come when it is invited to the table,” he said.
Fregene highlighted that rebuilding Africa’s food systems does not require reinventing the wheel. “Small and medium-sized enterprises produce the bulk of our food. We must help them double production, ensure their survival, and scale innovations. Our programs provide financing, climate-resilient infrastructure, and access to agricultural inputs while supporting farmer training and networking,” he explained.
Nyakio called for a societal shift in how farming is perceived. “Farming is often seen as degrading work. We need to elevate its status, show children the benefits of agriculture, and inspire the next generation to love this sector,” she said.
Organized under the theme “Prevention for better action: financing peace in a context of development cooperation in transition,” the sixth edition of the Africa Resilience Forum brings together policy-makers and practitioners from the humanitarian-development-peace nexus to explore strategies that intensify prevention efforts and stimulate peace-promoting investments across Africa.
