Strategy for agricultural transformation in africa

Fulfilling the potential of African agribusiness to meet goals of the strategy could 
open up markets worth more than US$100bn per year by 2025; an initial set of value 
chains identified as being early candidates to transform could present market 
opportunities worth ~US$70-90bn a year by 2025
26
.
These markets are diverse, both in 
terms of their regional mix, and the critical success factors for transformation. Commodities 
map to 4 regions: Pan-African or applicable across diverse agro-ecological zones (such as 
horticulture), applicable across particular agro-ecological zones (such as wheat, rice and 
cassava), or tied to agro-ecological transformation agendas (capturing the potential of the 
Guinea Savannah and creating a food secure Sahel). A longer term set of transformation 
opportunities include adding several other agricultural commodities targeting self-sufficiency 
(such as sugar, Irish potatoes, sweet potatoes, sunflower oil) and FMCG (fast-moving 
consumer goods) and food industry ingredients (increased domestic production of alcoholic 
beverages, non-alcoholic beverages such as soft drinks and juices, industrial fats and butter / 
margarine). These markets could constitute an additional broadening of the transformation, 
from 2021 to 2025, in addition to the initial set of value chains that have been identified as 
early candidates for transformation.
Figure 7: Agricultural transformation has the potential to generate new revenue
 
Notes: (1) Market is valued at import parity prices, which can be taken as a proxy for the wholesale market 
value of these products; (2) Additional focus areas for future consideration post first 5 years of execution 
of the transformation strategy; (3) involves application of high-productivity horticulture methods to 
substantially increase Africa’s share of horticulture export markets; Source: CGIAR; FAOstat; Dalberg 
analysis

26
 For import substitution and self-sufficiency market opportunities markets are valued on an import parity 
basis; for export markets (such as cocoa grindings, roast & ground / freeze-dried coffee, horticulture 
products etc) these are valued on a current average export FOB price from Africa. All prices are based on 
the most recent weighted averages for Africa on FAOstat.

---

10