Africa’s US$70B food import bill sparks urgent calls for local investment

RWANDA – Africa’s annual food import bill of $70 billion has set off strong concern among agricultural leaders who say the continent must strengthen its own farming systems or risk worsening food insecurity and unemployment.

At the Eastern Africa Farmers Federation (EAFF) Congress in Kigali, Rwanda’s Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources, Mark Cyubahiro Bagabe, reminded delegates of the urgency.

“We are meeting under the theme of sustainable food systems at a time when we face climate shocks, high trade costs and widening trade deficits,” he said. “Africa’s food import bill is a staggering $70 billion annually.”

He warned that the problem extends beyond hunger to unemployment, especially for youth, which could fuel instability. Bagabe stressed the importance of closing yield gaps, pointing to Rwanda as an example.

“Maize yields average 2 tonnes per hectare, but some farmers achieve up to 10 tonnes. Cassava yields vary from 15 tonnes nationally to 50 tonnes per hectare among well-supported farmers. This is the gap we must close.”

Decades of underinvestment

Elizabeth Nsimadala, President of EAFF, linked the growing import costs to long-standing neglect of the farming sector.

“As a continent, we are sitting on a time bomb,” she said. “Our US$70 billion import bill should be a wake-up call for all actors to invest in agri-food systems.”

She noted that African leaders pledged in the Maputo Declaration of 2003 to allocate 10% of national budgets to agriculture, yet most countries spend only around 3%.

She also cited the lack of credit, with agriculture receiving just 5% of total bank lending and interest rates that reach above 24%, even at community-level SACCOs.

Despite these gaps, EAFF has facilitated US$4.5 million in loans for farmers and $6 million in commodity sales across eight countries.

Calls for sovereignty and climate action

Boaz Keizire, Director of Policy at AGRA, said the import bill shows why Africa must take control of its food supply. “Let us build food systems that are not only sustainable, but sovereign,” he told delegates.

Speaking virtually, Sara Mbago-Bhunu, Regional Director at IFAD, echoed that point. “Smallholder farmers, the backbone of Africa’s food system, face climate shocks, land degradation, and poor market access. This must change, with political will, public-private partnerships, and stronger investment.”

She urged governments to back climate-smart farming, agro-processing, and youth and women’s involvement in agribusiness. She added that Africa has the potential to feed itself and take a leading role globally.

With the African Continental Free Trade Agreement projected to open a US$1 trillion agribusiness opportunity by 2030, leaders at the congress agreed that the future of food security depends on shifting resources from imports to investments in local farmers.

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