Abidjan — May 30, 2026 — Agriculture’s contribution to Africa’s GDP dropped to 17% in 2025, down from 18% in 2020, according to the African Development Bank’s (AfDB) Annual Development Effectiveness Review 2026. The decline reflects persistent structural challenges, including low investment, inadequate rural infrastructure, climate shocks, and security crises disrupting food systems across regions such as the Sahel, Sudan, and the Great Lakes.
The report highlights that cereal yields remain stagnant at 1.68 metric tons per hectare, far below the global average of 4.2. Despite holding nearly 65% of the world’s uncultivated arable land, Africa imports close to $70 billion in food annually, underscoring its vulnerability to external supply chains. An estimated 307 million people face hunger or undernourishment, with projections indicating that nearly 60% of those at risk of chronic hunger by 2030 will be in Africa.
To address these challenges, governments and partners are scaling up initiatives such as the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), which encourages member states to allocate at least 10% of national budgets to agriculture. The AICCRA program, backed by the World Bank, is also accelerating the rollout of climate‑smart agriculture across multiple countries.
Looking ahead, African leaders plan to mobilize $100 billion by 2035 to transform agri‑food systems under the CAADP strategy. The AfDB stresses that rising global uncertainty and external shocks could further constrain investment, making resilience and sustainable transformation urgent priorities.
