AU-SAFGRAD participated in the 16th Commemoration of Africa Day for Food and Nutrition Security (ADFNS) and 21st CAADP Partnership Platform held in Kigali, Rwanda, 29-31 October 2025. Speaking during a side event titled “Policy, institutional and operational challenges in limiting competitive agro-processing (value addition) in Africa,” on the sidelines of the event, Dr Mure Agbonlahor, Senior Production and Marketing Officer of African Union’s Semi Arid Food Grains Research and Development (SAFGRAD), emphasized that agro-processing for value addition is a cornerstone for transforming Africa’s food systems.
“Currently, Africa’s agriculture remains constrained by limited value addition. Over 70 percent of agricultural exports leave the continent in raw or minimally processed form. This dependence on low-value exports not only limits GDP contribution and employment creation but also exposes African economies to volatile global commodity prices,” he said.
According to the African Union Commodity Strategy, effective management of agricultural commodities could become a reliable driver of economic growth and development. Developing robust agro-processing industries would:
- Increase farm-level productivity and reduce post-harvest losses;
- Boost intra-African trade and strengthen Africa’s share in global agricultural markets;
- Generate employment and stimulate rural industrialization;
- Enhance food and nutritional security through diversified products; and
- Encourage investment in logistics, storage, and service provision.
The event formed part of the domestication process of the AU Guidelines for Inclusive Agricultural Value Chains Development (iAVCD). The goal is to help countries translate continental frameworks into actionable national strategies that foster competitive agro-processing.