Food insecurity is no longer just a humanitarian concern in sub-Saharan Africa: it is a business issue. In my work as a researcher and entrepreneur focused on sustainable agriculture, I have interacted with smallholder farmers, agribusiness enterprises, and policy institutions across the region. In the process, I have come to understand that food insecurity constitutes a fundamental business risk with far-reaching implications for the continent’s economic growth, supply chain stability, and geopolitical resilience.
The agricultural challenges facing the region are not isolated or incidental; they are structural, multifaceted, and growing in urgency. Climate change, infrastructural gaps, policy failures, and socioeconomic inequities are intersecting in ways that undermine both agricultural productivity and long-term development. Fortunately, many of the solutions are already known. What remains is the imperative to mobilize resources, align governance structures, and implement these solutions on a large scale.
This article presents a field-based perspective on four critical dimensions that shape the region’s food security crisis.
