AGRA agricultural impact in Africa

The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) recently marked 20 years of agricultural partnerships across the continent. Initial reports highlighted efforts to transition toward climate-resilient and inclusive systems. In Nigeria, officials emphasized the need for increased mechanization and sustainable financing to support smallholder farmers, while discussions in Malawi focused on the economic necessity of addressing soil depletion and rising production costs.

However, the organization’s impact has come under scrutiny. Research from the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA) and Tufts University suggests that undernourishment in countries targeted by AGRA programs increased by 58% since 2006. The findings indicate that while fertilizer use has more than doubled, crop yield progress has slowed, suggesting that production increases may stem from a 46% expansion in cultivated land rather than sustainable intensification. Critics have pointed to Senegal, a country not targeted by AGRA, as a successful model for halving hunger levels, leading to calls for a shift toward agroecology and local seed protection.