Experts Call for Strengthening Smallholder Agriculture to Combat Food Insecurity in Eastern Africa

Agricultural experts have identified the strengthening of smallholder agriculture as the most effective solution to the escalating food insecurity crisis in Eastern Africa. This conclusion was reached at the 18th Annual Meeting of the Multidisciplinary Team, organized by the FAO Sub-regional Office for Eastern Africa, which focused on addressing food insecurity across the region.

According to FAO data, approximately 29.7 million people in the Sub-Saharan Food Security (SFE) region are severely food insecure and in need of assistance. In the IGAD region, which includes Sudan, this figure rises to 50.8 million. However, this marks a 13% decrease from the previous year, primarily due to improvements in food security in Ethiopia.

Frank Tumwebaze, the Minister of Agriculture and Chairperson of the African Union’s Specialized Technical Committee on Commercialized Agriculture in Rural Areas, emphasized that despite the region’s abundant natural resources, food insecurity remains alarmingly high. 

“The region remains one of the most food-insecure areas globally. Over 30 million people are currently experiencing acute food insecurity, a situation worsened by climate change, conflict, and economic instability,” Tumwebaze stated. He pointed out that this fragility is reflected in rising food prices, malnutrition, and a lack of resilience to environmental, economic, and social shocks.

He attributed much of the problem to the continued reliance on subsistence agriculture, which faces numerous challenges, including land degradation, water scarcity, pests, diseases, and limited access to markets. These barriers hinder the region’s ability to fully capitalize on its agricultural potential.

Tumwebaze stressed the need for innovative strategies and collaborative approaches to enhance agricultural productivity, strengthen food systems, and build resilience within communities. He highlighted that empowering smallholder farmers and addressing structural challenges in food systems are crucial steps toward addressing food insecurity.

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Haile-Gabriel Abebe, Assistant to the Director-General and FAO Regional Representative for Africa, echoed these sentiments. He noted that Africa’s agricultural landscape is largely comprised of smallholder farmers, and without their empowerment, progress toward improving the region’s agricultural and food security goals will be limited. This includes farmers engaged in livestock, aquaculture, and crop production.

“These farmers face numerous challenges: they lack access to improved seeds, and without the right kind of seeds, productivity suffers. They also lack market access, and when they can’t sell their produce, they won’t produce for the next season,” Abebe explained.

Abebe emphasized that supporting smallholder farmers through stronger systems and private-sector collaborations is key. Given that the region’s food security relies heavily on smallholders for both domestic supply and export, transforming agri-food systems across the entire value chain is essential.

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Farayi Zimudzi, the FAO Subregional Coordinator for Eastern Africa, highlighted the importance of leveraging the region’s youthful population and their adaptability to technology for strengthening smallholder agriculture. “We need to invest in young people, equipping them with the skills they need. And where skills and ideas are available, let’s invest the capital to make them scalable, benefiting others,” Zimudzi said.

This strategy comes at a crucial time as Africa advances its agricultural transformation policy framework, the Comprehensive African Agricultural Program (CAADP). This program, under development for over a decade, is expected to be adopted by African heads of government early next year in Kampala. The CAADP is part of Agenda 2063, a continental initiative aimed at eradicating hunger and reducing poverty through agriculture-led economic growth.