Africa south of the Sahara

Africa’s food systems are evolving rapidly, driven by the rise of an African middle class, growing urbanization, shifts in the labor force from farming to nonfarm jobs, and increased availability of digital technologies. As a result, the entire food system is changing, marked by rising food import bills as the gap between Africa’s food production and consumption widens, by growing consumer demand for more diverse, higher-quality and safer foods, and by new preferences regarding packaging, shopping outlets, and financial and electronic payment services. Despite growing demand and competition for African farmland, low-input, rainfed production systems with low yields still predominate, and the entire food value chain is led by smallholders and small and medium enterprises (SMEs), with women playing critical roles in the production, processing, retailing, preparation, and waste management of food.