In this opinion piece for , author Hailemariam Desalegn writes on the issue of food security in Africa and explains how without increasing resilience through integrated agricultural markets for cost-effective and nutritious foods, the continent’s food value chain will remain broken.

Business and public leaders must come together and commit to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS). With only nine harvests left for us to achieve the SDGs, it is now our time to get food systems right.

Desalegn writes on the importance of development partners as fundamental players in Africa’s agricultural transformation. Recently, 62 per cent of farmers supported by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) have adopted technology to increase their yields and incomes. Gender-responsive programming has also directly supported 3.5 million female farmers within the region.

While there is progress being made, this is our time to elevate the future leaders of African agriculture, take critical steps towards integrated food systems, and prioritize achieving zero hunger.

 

Read the full opinion piece on The New Times .