Industrial Agriculture in Africa: A Failed Approach to Food Security

The annual Africa Food Systems Forum highlights the shortcomings of industrial agriculture in addressing food insecurity in Africa

Introduction: The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) is set to launch the annual Africa Food Systems Forum in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The forum, sponsored by international donors and agrochemical companies, promotes industrial agriculture practices that have failed to deliver on their promises of better food systems and food sovereignty. Despite the efforts of AGRA and similar organizations, food insecurity in Africa persists, and it is clear that a radically different approach is needed.

AGRA's Failed Promises and the Rise of Food Insecurity

AGRA, which aimed to increase productivity and incomes for 20 million farm households while halving food insecurity by 2020, has fallen short of its goals. Out of the 13 countries primarily worked with by AGRA, only Zambia, Ethiopia, and Ghana have seen a reduction in malnourished people, and even then, they have not reached the target of a 50% decrease. In countries like Kenya and Nigeria, where industrial agriculture policies have been embraced, the number of undernourished people has actually increased significantly. It is clear that the industrial agriculture approach is not effectively addressing food insecurity in Africa.

The Destructive Impact of Industrial Agriculture

Industrial agriculture practices, including the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, degrade soils over time and decrease productivity. Studies have shown that these practices harm the environment, contribute to soil degradation, and favor large landowners and agribusinesses. Despite these negative consequences, pressure from foreign donors and agribusiness has led many African countries to adopt policies that promote industrial agriculture.

Zambia's Misguided Development Strategy

Zambia, despite high adoption rates of commercial seeds and fertilizers, has poor development outcomes. The country has reduced malnourishment by only 2%, and three-quarters of rural Zambians still live in extreme poverty. Instead of addressing these failures, the Zambian government has introduced the Comprehensive Agriculture Transformation Support Programme (CATSP), which favors larger agricultural businesses and is backed by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). CATSP focuses on supporting farmers growing maize and soybeans, neglecting the more diverse food crops grown by Zambian farmers. This misguided development strategy benefits multinational seed and fertilizer companies and fails to support smallholder farmers.

The Call for Agroecology

Grassroots organizations, such as the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA), advocate for agroecology as a sustainable and efficient alternative to industrial agriculture. Agroecology is a low-input farming approach that builds on traditional peasant practices while incorporating scientific innovations. Farmers working with agroecologists have achieved better results than those in industrial agriculture programs, improving food productivity while restoring degraded soils. Practices such as intercropping, manure applications, and the use of organic fertilizers produced using local materials have proven effective in increasing crop yields and promoting biodiversity. Conclusion: The Africa Food Systems Forum highlights the urgent need for a new approach to address food insecurity in Africa. Industrial agriculture, promoted by organizations like AGRA, has failed to deliver on its promises and has instead exacerbated the problem. It is time to embrace agroecology, which respects local cultures, restores soils, promotes biodiversity, and makes farming more resilient to climate change. African farmers and community leaders must be included in decision-making processes, and foreign control over food production must be rejected. Food sovereignty is the key to ensuring that the estimated 784 million food-insecure Africans have access to nutritious food, and African farmers have the knowledge and expertise to make this a reality.