Africa’s food processors urged to be innovative to meet high food demand

As Africa’s youth population continues to grow, with one billion projected to be aged between 15 and 35 years by 2063, food processing offers a sustainable avenue for youth employment, with the sector already responsible for almost a third of the total manufacturing employment in sub-Saharan Africa.

A new report by the Malabo Montpellier Panel, states that the “triple pull” in food demand is creating sizable opportunities for Africa’s food processors if they ramp up their competitiveness.

It further provides an in-depth analysis of three African countries – Ghana, Kenya, and Senegal, which have implemented policies and institutional reforms that are fostering a supportive environment for food processing in Africa’s food system.

The report tagged; VALUE-UP: Policy Innovations to Advance Africa’s Food Processing Sector for Growth, Jobs, and Health” offers African governments a framework to adopt policy and institutional innovations to boost their food processing sectors and take advantage of changes in market demands rather than relying increasingly on food imports to meet supply needs.

“A vibrant food processing sector creates jobs”, said Prof. Joachim von Braun, a Professor at the Center for Development Research (ZEF), University of Bonn, and Co-Chair of the Malabo Montpellier Panel.

“If carefully designed, Africa’s food processing can deliver diverse, nutritious, less perishable, and more convenient foods that improve people’s well-being, especially women and children, while contributing to sustainable economic growth across the continent.” He added.

The Co-Chair of the Malabo Montpellier Panel, Dr. Ousmane Badiane noted that a growing class of wealthier, time-constrained, mostly urban populations in Africa are looking for shelf-stable, ready-to-eat, ready-to-cook, or easy-to-prepare processed foods. He further added that this demographic is changing the types and amounts of food in demand, and the food processing sector must advance rapidly to keep pace.

Africa’s population is projected to grow by 2.5 percent annually, from 1.2 billion in 2016 to 2.4 billion by 2050. Also, the continent’s urban population is projected to increase from approximately 43 percent in 2020 to 60 percent by 2050, with the middle class projected to account for 42 percent of the total population by 2060.

Josefa Sacko, Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment at the African Union Commission called for the implementation of effective strategies to wholly develop Africa’s Agro food processing sector to help create more jobs on the continent.

“The progress to transform Africa’s agricultural sector has been slower than anticipated due to immense challenges and shocks such as climate change and global economic disruptions. I am committed to working and deepening engagements by all stakeholders to align with global trends, especially the SDGs’’. She said.

At the 14th Meeting of the Malabo Montpellier Forum, the panel underscored the urgent need for Governments and stakeholders to collaborate to help address the challenges faced in the food processing sector as well as promote the production of healthy, safe, nutritious, and high-quality processed foods in Africa.

African Ministers, senior country representatives, and development partners also discussed the Malabo Montpellier Panel’s latest report and its recommendations at the forum.

The Malabo Montpellier Forum provides a platform to facilitate dialogue and exchange among high-level decision-makers on African agriculture, nutrition, and food security and to promote policy innovation using evidence produced by the Malabo Montpellier Panel, a group of 17 leading African and international experts in agriculture, ecology, nutrition, and food security.

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