The Just ended Africa-France summit resolved among other landmark decisions to support Africa revolutionalise its agriculture sector and help rebuild the continent’s worsening food production that threatens millions of people with starvation.

The leaders in their commitments reiterated their commitment to help encourage smart-agriculture practices and fight climate change:

Leaders at the recently concluded Africa Forward Summit encouraged the adoption of agroecology by committing to joint research partnerships, promoting climate-smart practices, and integrating “One Health” approaches to protect ecosystems.

Key strategies adopted to advance these agricultural systems include:

• Joint Research Partnerships: Collaborating with French institutions to innovate localized agricultural practices, agroforestry, and integrated soil health management.

• Targeted Investments: Pledging funding toward climate-smart agriculture, locally adapted seeds, and digital tools to enhance food security and crop yields.

• The “One Health” Approach: Integrating agricultural and livestock systems that improve nutrition while safeguarding human, animal, and ecosystem health.

• Agro-Industrialization: Shifting focus from raw commodity exports to integrated value chains, boosting local processing and resilient food systems

Agro experts have since supported the pledge by leaders to support the re-strategic plans put forward by the leaders and have offered the following advisory on how the sector can be rekindled to ensure Africa’s food security was retained for the future generation amid heightening geotropically-inclined conflicts.

Chair of the CIRAD Scientific Council and Board Chair of the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa

By Elisabeth Claverie de Saint Martin

CEO of CIRAD

Africa and France would benefit from working together towards the transition of agri-food systems in the face of the growing challenges of climate change.

The COVID-19 pandemic has reminded us of the importance of the work of farmers to human life everywhere in the world. Yet in Europe, fewer and fewer people work in agriculture.

On the contrary, in Sub-Saharan Africa almost two thirds of the jobs are directly linked to agriculture.

By 2050, 60% of the global workforce will be located in Africa with half of the active population in rural areas. The training of Africa’s next generation therefore seems to be a key issue.

But training in what kind of agriculture and in which food production system?

African expertise

Agriculture contributes to the many challenges our planet faces. It produces greenhouse gases, is responsible for deforestation, uses pesticides and fertilizers that cause pollution and biodiversity loss.

Processed food has also its flaws: too much sugar, salt and preservatives that could increase the prevalence of obesity and diabetes, two scourges that make populations more susceptible to infectious diseases such as COVID-19.

While European agriculture has gone a long way in simplifying farming systems and habitat artificialization, African agriculture has upheld some traditions and some expertise that could be a source of inspiration for the rest of the world.

However, Africa needs to increase crop yields to feed a growing population and provide farmers with a decent living. For our agronomists, this will include the use of fertilizer (nitrogen) even if the quantities required are limited.

This is one of the many components and one of the challenges resulting from agro-ecological intensification on the continent.

Innovating and becoming more resilient

It is indeed time to recognize and validate solutions that build on ecological process within agroecological systems.

The principle of agroecology is to take ecosystems, in order words, the nature, as models for agriculture. Many scientific and farmer inputs and insights are required to enhance the ecological processes.

This will entail research, training, a lot of discussions and sharing to innovate and become more resilient. There is therefore also a need to make financial investments and for researchers, technicians, farmers, the African Union, and the European Union to work together.

We discussed the issue of agroecological transitions with our African partners during the Montpellier Global Days Africa 2021, just before the new Africa-France Summit.

During these days dedicated to science, education and innovation and led by the Montpellier University of Excellence, other flagship topics were discussed:

sustainability and diversity of food systems, health management – using a One Health approach– cultivated and uncultivated biodiversity; water and inequality in land ownership, attractiveness of rural jobs with the development of digital agriculture as well as the need to properly fund African agricultural research systems.

Together, let us invest in research, innovation and training to ensure the transition of our agri-food systems!

Agroecology: Definition

Agroecology is a holistic, sustainable approach to farming that applies ecological principles to agricultural systems. It functions as a science, a set of practices, and a social movement dedicated to creating food systems that are resilient, economically viable, and socially just.

The Three Pillars of Agroecology

• Science: It studies how different components of an agricultural ecosystem (plants, animals, humans, and the environment) interact, using this understanding to design sustainable, self-regulating farms

• Practice: It uses natural processes to minimize the need for synthetic chemicals and external inputs. Common techniques include crop rotation, polycultures (growing multiple crops together), agroforestry, and integrating crops with livestock.

• Social Movement: It advocates for food sovereignty—empowering small-scale farmers, Indigenous communities, and local markets to control their own seeds, land, and resources.

Core Principles

Agroecology is defined by key principles established by organizations like the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Agroecology Coalition:

• Recycling & Efficiency: Mimicking natural ecosystems so that waste from one process becomes a resource for another, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and artificial inputs.

• Resilience: Building diverse, strong farm ecosystems that are better equipped to withstand pests, diseases, and climate change

• Co-creation of Knowledge: Combining modern scientific research with traditional, Indigenous, and local farming expertise to innovate locally adapted solutions.

• Social & Economic Equity: Placing a strong emphasis on fair wages, gender equality, and ensuring that food systems prioritize community health over mass corporate profit.

Why Agroecology Matters

Traditional industrial agriculture accounts for a significant portion of global greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity loss.

Agroecology addresses these issues by restoring soil health, promoting biodiversity, and reducing water contamination.