Spotlight: Empowering Africa’s Smallholder Farmers through Innovation and Inclusive Partnerships

As global leaders gathered in Yokohama for the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9), the spotlight turned to one of Africa’s most urgent priorities: transforming food systems through inclusive, sustainable, and locally driven innovation. Among the key voices shaping this dialogue was Mr. Shuichi Suzuki, President of the Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) – a pioneering organization with nearly four decades of experience empowering smallholder farmers across the continent.

In this exclusive interview with Agritech Middle East & Africa, made possible during SAA’s official side event, “Building Sustainable, Resilient and Inclusive Food Systems and Local Economies in Africa anchored in the Blue Economy and Agriculture,” Mr. Suzuki shares how SAA is bridging global innovation with grassroots realities, scaling farmer-centric solutions that enhance productivity, reduce post-harvest losses, and build climate resilience. SAA brings TICAD’s principles of partnership, ownership, and transformation to life, as seen in its promotion of regenerative agriculture in Ethiopia and its support for youth-led irrigation cooperatives in Uganda.

This Q&A offers a rare glimpse into the strategies, partnerships, and vision driving SAA’s mission – and how Japan’s enduring commitment to Africa is helping shape a more inclusive and resilient agricultural future.

Agritech MEA: TICAD 9 emphasises food systems transformation. How does this align with SAA’s mission and work across Africa?

Mr. Suzuki: While the question refers to “food systems transformation,” TICAD 9 emphasises inclusive and sustainable development and human security, in which agriculture and food security are key components.

SAA’s mission to improve smallholder farmers’ livelihoods through regenerative, nutrition-sensitive, and market-oriented agriculture, directly contributes to these priorities. For nearly 40 years, strengthening agricultural extension has been our core focus. In recent years, we have placed increasing emphasis on soil fertility restoration. These efforts are consistent with the continent-wide Soil Initiative for Africa (SIA), an African Union–led initiative coordinated by FARA where SAA, together with the African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (AFAAS), serves as a thematic co-lead for the Coalition for Strengthening Agriculture Extension, Advisory services, and Human Capital Development. We also mainstream women and youth inclusion across our programmes. Currently, SAA operates across twelve countries in Africa with hubs based in Ethiopia, Uganda, Nigeria, and Mali.

At TICAD 9, SAA co-organized an official side event with JIRCAS and FARA, focusing on soil health and regenerative agriculture as key entry points for sustainable growth. The event also highlighted SIA’s role in framing soil restoration not only as an environmental necessity but also as a driver of inclusive growth, youth entrepreneurship, and resilient food systems.

Agritech MEA: What practical innovations is SAA promoting to help smallholder farmers increase productivity and resilience, especially against climate change?

Mr. Suzuki: SAA promotes farmer-led innovations tailored to local conditions. In Ethiopia, we train farmers and extension agents in regenerative and nutrition-sensitive practices, including permagardens and community demonstration plots. In Nigeria, Integrated Soil Fertility Management has boosted yields through minimum tillage and composting. In Mali, hermetic storage helps women farmers reduce post-harvest losses, while in Uganda, youth cooperatives adopt solar irrigation and mechanization to increase productivity.

Our TICAD 9 side event underlined that these grassroots practices also align with the objectives of the Soil Initiative for Africa (SIA), which frames soil health as the foundation for resilience, productivity, and sustainable growth.

Agritech MEA: Post-harvest losses remain a significant challenge. What solutions has SAA found most effective, and what scalable models are you promoting?

Mr. Suzuki: Reducing post-harvest losses is a cornerstone of our work. We promote hermetic storage, mechanized threshing and shelling, value adding milling services, solar drying, and quality training, helping farmers preserve food, improve safety, and secure better prices. Models like community-based service providers and One-Stop Center Associations ensure these solutions reach remote areas.

Agritech MEA: Gender and youth inclusion are central to Africa’s agricultural future. How is SAA ensuring women and young people are included?

Mr. Suzuki: Gender and youth inclusion are embedded in all SAA programs. In Ethiopia, over 4,000 of 11,000 trained farmers in 2024 were women. In Uganda, Nigeria, Mali and Ethiopia, women and youth cooperatives manage input shops, irrigation, and mechanization services. We also launched Gender Champions Training to build staff capacity. Youth are positioned as agro-dealers, service providers, and digital facilitators, making agriculture an attractive career.

At TICAD 9, our side event reaffirmed that soil health restoration, an agenda advanced through SIA, also provides opportunities for women and youth to take leading roles in sustainable, farmer-centered agriculture.

Agritech MEA: Partnerships are key in agriculture. How does SAA work with partners, and what role does TICAD play?

Mr. Suzuki: Partnerships are central to SAA’s mission. We work with governments, research institutions, private actors, and international partners to scale innovations.

In 2024, with Japan’s Ministry of Finance and the AfDB, we advanced regenerative agriculture in Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Benin. Collaborations with AGRA, IsDB, and Kano State government strengthened productivity and value chains in Nigeria.

Our TICAD 9 side event was itself a partnership in action, co-organized with JIRCAS, FARA, and AFAAS, and aligned with the broader framework of SIA as endorsed by the African Union. It illustrated how governments, science, and civil society can work together to accelerate soil health restoration and sustainable agriculture.

Agritech MEA: Looking ahead, what is your vision for scaling farmer-centred models across Africa?

Mr. Suzuki: Our vision is to scale proven models such as farmer learning platforms, Community based seed systems, Community Savings for Investment in Agribusiness, Private and Extension Service Provision, Agro-processing Enterprise Center, and Demand Driven Curriculum into more countries. We will deepen youth and women’s engagement, strengthen regenerative agriculture, and expand partnerships. Above all, we aim to build inclusive, climate-resilient, and market-ready systems with farmers at the center.

The TICAD 9 side event reaffirmed this vision: soil health and regenerative agriculture as framed under the continent-wide SIA are recognised as key entry points. SAA’s contributions, particularly in extension and capacity building alongside AFAAS, are consistent with this continental agenda.

As TICAD 9 reaffirmed the urgency of sustainable development and food system resilience, Mr. Suzuki’s insights emphasize the power of inclusive partnerships and farmer-led innovation. SAA’s work across twelve African nations is improving livelihoods and laying the foundation for a new era of agriculture where women, youth, and rural communities are central to the solution. This model offers a blueprint for scaling impact across the continent.

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