The 2022 Africa Agriculture Status Report (AASR22) is aptly titled: Accelerating African Food Systems Transformation to project the urgent need for the agricultural sector to achieve inclusive, equitable, sustainable, and resilient growth while simultaneously responding to multiple crises such as climate change, rising global energy, food, and fertilizer prices, and ever-present food insecurity. The timing could not have been more appropriate.

The report answers the following questions:

1. What are major megatrends shaping Africa’s food systems and what challenges do they present to African governments?

2. What is at stake for Africa if the challenges faced are not addressed?

3. What is required of African leaders and international partners to address the challenges?

4. What resources are required, both financial and human?

5. What coalition of partners is required to effectively build capacity among stakeholders and food systems actors for sustainable and resilient food systems?

The Report concludes that achieving inclusive, equitable, sustainable and resilient food systems will require:

1. Proactive policy responses to critical megatrends impacting African economies and markets;

2. Bold and accountable leadership that will ensure the effective execution of specific priority actions, policies, and programmes;

3. Significant public and private investments in support of farm technical innovation and productivity growth, policy support for private investment in upstream and downstream agrifood systems, and climate financing; and

4. Strengthened state capability and capacity to operationalize all of the foregoing.