AFRICA: The Breadbasket of the World
With rising world population and an imminent danger of food shortages in the future, Africa is well poised to become the global breadbasket and emerging as a major supplier of food. Africa has about 60% of the world’s unused cropland that can be used for farming and can create up to 8 million new jobs. It is being seen as a source of future food supplies for the rising population of the world.
Per 2019 World Bank Publication, "Harvesting Prosperity: Technology and Productivity Growth in Agriculture, It is difficult to visualize vibrant cities without a well functioning rural sector. Research suggests that invention, adaptation, and dissemination of new technologies to existing farms is likely boost overall productivity and support a more vibrant structural transformation."
Agriculture offers women and youth a pathway to economic transformation for their families and their communities. Africa’s agricultural sector provides livelihoods to 70% of the growing women and youth population. They need investors, researchers and mentors to help feed the world.
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According to Mckinsey, "Agriculture in Africa has a massive social and economic footprint. More than 60 percent of the population of sub-Saharan Africa is smallholder farmers, and about 23 percent of sub-Saharan Africa’s GDP comes from agriculture. Yet, Africa’s full agricultural potential remains untapped." Africa has the potential to be two to three times more productive if it increases it's agricultural productivity.
According to the World Economic Forum- at least half of the world's fastest-growing economies have been in Africa since 2000; and by 2030, Africa will be home to 1.7 billion people, whose combined consumer and business spending will total $6.7 trillion. Most importantly, according to a report by Project Syndicate, 43% of Africans will belong to the middle or upper classes, up from 39.6% in 2013, implying considerably higher demand for goods and services; and by 2030, household consumption alone is expected to reach $2.5 trillion, up from $1.1 trillion in 2015, according to available statistics.
With the combination of Africa's exploding population and agricultural economic opportunity creates a perfect storm for investors, researchers and agriculturalist to invest time, talent and finances in help the women and youth farmers to make "Africa the Food Basket of the World".
Reference Articles
Winning in Africa's agricultural market - Lutz Goedde, Amandia Ooko-Ombaka and Gillian Pais
Africa: The Food Basket of the World - Africa News Portal
3 Ways Africa Can Unleash the Potential of its women and youth - Weforum
Focusing on Women and Youth to transform Agriculture - SciDevNet
Focusing on women and youth to transform agriculture - Bizcommunity
“When we Empower Africa’s Young Women and Girls, EVERYONE WINS”