AFRICA FOOD SYSTEMS FORUM ANNUAL SUMMIT
Plenary: Food Systems Trade & Markets – Connecting Food Corridors and Food Supply Chains
Theme:
“Africa’s Youth: Leading Collaboration, Innovation and Implementation of Agri-food Systems Transformation”
Statement
On behalf of the United Nations Secretary-General
By
Mr. Claver Gatete
United Nations Under-Secretary-General and
Executive Secretary of ECA
Dakar, Senegal
3 September 2025
H.E. Bassirou Diomaye Faye, President of the Republic of Senegal,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is a privilege to address you today at the Africa Food Systems Forum Annual Summit, under the theme “Africa’s Youth: Leading Collaboration, Innovation and Implementation of Agri-food Systems Transformation.”
I convey warm greetings from the United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. António Guterres.
He had hoped to join us, but circumstances beyond his control prevented him from doing so.
Nevertheless, he sends his strong support for our shared mission to accelerate Africa’s food systems transformation.
It is a particular honour to be here in Dakar under the leadership of His Excellency President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, whose vision for sustainable development and agricultural transformation inspires not only Senegal but the entire continent.
I also thank the Government and People of Senegal for their gracious hospitality and commend the Africa Food Systems Forum Partners Group and AGRA for convening this timely gathering.
Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates,
We meet at a time of profound challenges.
Across our continent, climate shocks, biodiversity loss, high cost of capital and rising debt distress are converging to slow agricultural transformation.
For many countries, these pressures translate into higher borrowing costs, constrained fiscal space and underinvestment in agriculture, infrastructure and human capital.
Indeed, we are not merely confronting a food production challenge; we are facing a development challenge – one where food insecurity competes directly with investments needed to drive economic growth, jobs, innovation and resilience.
This is a wake-up call.
The question is: how do we unlock Africa’s agricultural potential, and how quickly can we act?
Let us start with the facts.
Africa holds more than 60% of the world’s arable land and has the potential to build a US$1 trillion agri-food industry by 2030.
Unfortunately, despite this immense potential, Africa still imported food worth up to US$115 billion last year.
If a continent with these resources, this youthful energy and this strategic position cannot feed itself and the world then, we must ask: what are we missing, and what will it take to change this story?
To begin with, access to markets, value chains development and regional connectivity remain key challenges.
How can farmers access regional markets when transport corridors are underdeveloped, border procedures are slow and energy markets and digital systems fragmented?
And how can we build resilient value chains if goods cannot be preserved when harvested and moved efficiently from surplus to deficit regions as raw, intermediate or finished products?
This brings us to the pivotal role of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
By aligning standards, removing non-tariff barriers and investing in physical and digital infrastructure, we can make intra-African food trade faster, more affordable and reliable.
Innovations like the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) will further strengthen transparency and trust across markets.
Furthermore, we must recognize that the world has changed, and old financing models will no longer suffice.
Government spending alone cannot meet the scale of investment required and concessional finance is insufficient.
This reality underscores the urgent need for comprehensive solutions that combine public and private resources, deepen capital markets and improve credit ratings.
Within this context, I propose six priority interventions to accelerate Africa’s food systems transformation.
First, we must build integrated food corridors that link Africa’s production zones to major national, regional and markets.
By upgrading roads, ports, storage facilities and cold chains, accelerating electricity interconnection power pools connectivity, as well as streamlining border procedures, we can reduce post-harvest losses, ensure timely delivery of produce and strengthen the foundation of regional trade.
Second, we must fully implement the African Continental Free Trade Area to harmonize standards, remove non-tariff barriers and unlock regional value chains.
Africa has identified 94 promising value chains, many in agriculture, which, if developed, can anchor private investment, expand competitiveness and allow African products to compete on equal footing in regional and global markets.
Third, we must reform global financing systems, including credit rating practices, so that Africa’s real strengths are reflected.
We know that government spending and concessional finance are not sufficient to meet the scale of investment required.
But why should African nations pay up to three times the global average to borrow?
By mobilizing domestic resources, deepening capital markets and creating incentives for private sector investment, we can lower borrowing costs and accelerate investment in agriculture, digital infrastructure and SMEs.
We must work to ensure that more countries, beyond Botswana and Mauritius, achieve investment-grade status through stronger domestic revenues, transparent risk assessments and improved financial governance, to ensure that Africa’s true potential is recognized by global markets.
It is for this reason that the ECA is supporting the establishment of an African Credit Rating Agency to provide fair, transparent and Africa-led credit assessments that accurately reflect the continent’s economic fundamentals and unlock affordable finance for development.
Fourth, we must transform agriculture itself by promoting value addition, technology adoption and climate-smart practices.
Initiatives such as common agro-industrial processing zones between Zimbabwe and Zambia, and Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana, provide scalable models for maize, dairy and cocoa value chains.
Furthermore, Africa has the capacity to produce its own fertilizers.
Countries such as Nigeria, Morocco and others have considerable phosphate reserves and can supply essential inputs domestically, which can reduce reliance on imports, lower costs and boost productivity.
Fifth, six out of ten Africans are under the age of 25.
This reality alone tells us that Africa’s transformation will only be sustainable if it is co-created with its youth.
To seize this opportunity, we must empower them as innovators and entrepreneurs by scaling incubation initiatives, increasing access to land and credit and investing in youth-led agri-tech start-ups.
Equally, our vocational training systems must evolve by integrating entrepreneurship and practical, hands-on learning along modern value chains.
Above all, governments, the private sector and development partners must work together to ensure this demographic strength becomes a true engine of inclusive prosperity.
Sixth, we must strengthen partnerships – public and private, domestic and international – to invest in climate-resilient agriculture, storage, cold chains and other logistics systems.
These investments will significantly reduce perishable food losses, enhance agricultural productivity and food security and increase market competitiveness.
Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates,
I can assure you that the UN system, including ECA, FAO, IFAD, WFP and UNDP, remains committed and stands ready to work with Member States to mobilize resources, attract investment and build resilient food systems.
Unlocking Africa’s food corridors will require harmonized policies across AU, RECs and national governments, and streamlined customs procedures.
But ultimately, political will and leadership will determine the success of Dakar.
As Africa’s youth are already shaping the continent’s agricultural future, our responsibility is to match their ambition with enabling policies, fair financing and transformative partnerships.
And I am confident that we will leave Dakar not only with declarations but deliverables: connected food corridors, integrated markets, empowered youth, fair credit ratings and a continent that feeds itself and the world.
I thank you.