Program of Accompanying Research for Agricultural Innovation (PARI)

From Climate to Development Intelligence

Sat, 01 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT

From Climate to Development Intelligence Ly, Racine; Faye, Jean Paul L. The adoption of the UN carbon-crediting mechanism at COP29 in Baku in 2024, and the growing emphasis on adaptation tracking leading up to COP30 in Belem, have marked a new phase in global climate governance. For African countries, the credibility of climate action—and access to finance—will increasingly depend on governments' capacities to generate, govern, and use reliable data.
This policy paper argues that Africa stands at a turning point: from fragmented digital systems toward an integrated data-intelligence and governance architecture that links geospatial and AI (GeoAI) analytics, harmonized measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) systems, and transparent institutional frameworks. Drawing on insights from the Untapped Potential Index (UPI) on AI and geospatial readiness in African agri-food systems, the outcomes of the COP29 negotiations on Article 6, and the regional experience of ECOWAS in harmonizing climate-data systems, the paper outlines how Africa can consolidate its data foundations for both climate and development.
Developing such architecture serves three strategic goals: (i) strengthen Africa's credibility and participation in the global climate finance architecture through a reliable GHG tracking system; (ii) establish robust, evidence-based adaptation and resilience measurement; and (iii) build a foundation for multi-sectoral "development intelligence", linking climate, agriculture, energy, water, health, and trade.

Drivers of commercial poultry development in Sub-Saharan Africa

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Drivers of commercial poultry development in Sub-Saharan Africa Faye, Amy; Seré, Carlos; Sonaiya, Funso; Ly, Cheikh Transforming agrifood systems is a global priority, particularly in Africa where food security, nutrition and environmental issues remain critical. The poultry sector has the potential to contribute to this by providing affordable animal protein and improving rural livelihoods, while having a smaller environmental footprint than other types of livestock. However, despite growing demand, poultry production in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) remains low, averaging around 7 million tonnes per year between 2015 and 2022, far behind production in America (50.4 million tonnes), Asia (49.4 million tonnes) and Europe (21.5 million tonnes) (FAOSTAT, 2025). This results in a persistent reliance on imports. The sector is dominated by smallholder family systems with low productivity, which challenges its ability to meet the growing demand. Literature suggests that the more productive commercial sector has a key role to play in meeting demand. Understanding the mechanisms of success in this sector is important. However, there is a notable lack of research into the drivers of success in commercial poultry enterprises. This study addresses this gap by focusing on poultry businesses in Nigeria and Senegal, which were selected because West Africa has dominated poultry production in recent decades, with Nigeria being the largest producer and Senegal maintaining a long-standing ban on poultry imports. Their contrasting commercial poultry development and policy environments provide valuable nuances in the analysis. Using qualitative data and a framework emphasising entrepreneurial traits, business characteristics and the business environment as dimensions of success, the study finds that, while the business environment (including policy and industry conditions) plays an enabling or limiting role, business characteristics and strategic responses are crucial for leveraging opportunities or overcoming challenges. Although entrepreneurial traits are less directly linked to success, they influence entry capacity and enhance strategic approaches, thereby indirectly supporting long-term sustained performance. These insights enrich the literature on the poultry sector in SSA and offer guidance on how to strengthen its role in advancing broader food system goals.

Agroecology in Africa

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Agroecology in Africa Baumüller, Heike; Romero Antonio, Miriam E.; Beye, Assane; Faye, Amy; Isoto, Rosemary Emegu; Predo, Christine Ann; von Braun, Joachim Agroecology is gaining traction as a possible strategy for enhancing the sustainability and resilience of food systems, prompting increased support from some governments, donors, development organizations and civil society. However, the scope, design and impact of agroecology-related projects in Africa, as well as the perspectives of African stakeholders on agroecology, remain insufficiently understood. This study seeks to address these knowledge gaps by mapping and analysing agroecology-related projects in Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Senegal, and Uganda, drawing on insights from project coordinators, and by exploring the perceptions of a broader group of food system stakeholders in Senegal and Uganda. The findings show that most projects are led by national NGOs and predominantly funded by international donors, primarily European governments. For the most part, the projects demonstrate a high degree of diversification in both design and focus, offering a range of services and promoting a variety of crops and agroecological practices. Both coordinators and stakeholders highlight the environmental benefits of agroecology—especially improvements in soil health, biodiversity, and reductions in chemical input use—while also acknowledging socio-economic linkages, such as impacts on food security, income, yields, and the development of local markets. Insights on economic sustainability and profitability are lacking. Products from agroecological production did not benefit from a price premium. Key barriers to implementation and scaling include limited stakeholder engagement, inadequate political support, insufficient financial resources, and gaps in technical skills and knowledge. Overcoming these obstacles will require strong local leadership, early stakeholder involvement, integrated training and advisory services and sustained funding. Consistent with existing research, the results also suggest that agroecology is largely perceived as dependent on external expertise and initiative, rather than emerging as a bottom-up movement, highlighting the need to strengthen co-creation and foster greater local ownership.

Mapping Present and Future Agroforestry in Africa

Sat, 01 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Mapping Present and Future Agroforestry in Africa Diouf, Abdoul Aziz; Mirzabaev, Alisher; Mbow, Cheikh; Baumüller, Heike; Didarali, Zahra; von Braun, Joachim Agroforestry systems are vital for sustainable development in Africa, offering significant benefits such as enhanced agricultural productivity, biodiversity conservation, and climate resilience. This study provides a detailed analysis of the past, present, and potential future distributions of agroforestry across the African continent using high-resolution geospatial datasets and predictive modeling techniques. Between 2000 and 2020, agroforestry areas have expanded in some, while declining in other locations across Africa. Overall, at the continental level, net economic losses due to decline in the extent of agroforestry systems between 2000 and 2020 made up an equivalent of 14 billion USD. Economic projections point at consistently positive returns from future investments into agroforestry expansion in northern Africa, the northern part of the Sahel region, horn of Africa, and southern Africa. However, there is a strong heterogeneity across the continent in terms of economic viability of agroforestry expansion investments, requiring targeted prioritization to those areas with higher long-term returns. Projections to 2050 indicate that targeted policies and investments can not only prevent agroforestry losses under the business-as-usual trends but also help maximize benefits from agroforestry expansion where it makes the most sense.