Africa Should Set its Sights on Feeding the World

Much progress has been made in recent decades, but Africa is still only scratching the surface of its potential in the agribusiness game. To shift the industry onto a new trajectory, a combined effort between policymakers, financial services firms and the industry itself will be needed. Financial services organisations should be considering how they can facilitate the sector’s growth by providing sustainable finance solutions across the entire value chain. Private-sector investments in areas such as logistics, renewable energy, warehousing and other storage facilities, agro-processing plants, and irrigation technologies will be crucial, as will public investments in road and rail infrastructure as well as ports. Access to markets is also an important focus area, and measures to tackle this issue will boost the entire agricultural value chain. As part of those efforts, Standard Bank is working with development finance institutions and export agencies to develop sustainable finance solutions specifically for the sector.

SOURCE: AFRICA.COM