The African Union’s Semi-Arid Food Grains Research and Development (AU-SAFGRAD), organized a plenary session during the 11th African Agribusiness Incubation Conference and Expo (AAICE 2026). The Panel intervention addressed innovative pathways to catalyze investments in the food grains value chain development. The event was organized as part of the domestication of the African Union’s guidelines for inclusive agricultural value chain development. The panel intervention was preceded by a keynote presentation given by Dr Mure Agbonlahor (Senior Production & Marketing Officer, AU-SAFGRAD). The keynote addressed opportunities and pathways for developing inclusive and competitive agricultural value chains for job and wealth creation as well as for boosting intra-African trade. The Panel discussants were drawn from a wide range of food grains value chain stakeholders in the continent; processing agribusinesses, public agribusiness managers and implementers. The Panelists discussed specific national and enterprise-specific challenges that limit inclusivity and competitiveness in food grains transformation. The Panel orchestrated the importance of value addition to African agricultural value chains. It, however, emphasized that proximity is not enough condition for trade among nations, even in the same trade bloc. It stressed that value addition processes should minimize transaction costs and promote chain efficiency to develop products with both price and quality competitive advantages. Using the chain-wide approach, the Panel identified key investment challenges to developing inclusive and competitive food grains value chains. The discussions leaned on lessons learnt from implementing innovative investment models as “gamechangers” adopted by government and agribusinesses along the food grain value chains. The Panel agreed on the role of government in providing an enabling policy environment and facilitating institutional and infrastructure regimes to de-risk investments and build competitive advantages of food grain products on the continent.
