Africans should seriously consider agriculture’s potential. The continent holds a large percentage of uncultivated arable land – Africa’s vast savannas are estimated to cover 400 million hectares – but only 10% have been cultivated. Despite this, about 23% of sub-Saharan Africa’s GDP comes from agriculture, according to McKinsey Insights.
Fortunately, in African farmlands, a promising transformation has already started. Farmers are increasingly using innovative approaches and scientific research, combined with traditional knowledge, to increase the productivity of their fields, diversify their crops, boost their nutrition, and build climate resilience. Leveraging technology can improve the potential and value chain of agriculture in Africa.

It was on this premise that the Pan Agritech Consortium (PAAC) was launched during #AAG2022. PAAC was launched in the presence of notable individuals and organizations and has seen impressive growth in the number of new members since after its launch – a testament to the fact that #AAG provides a great opportunity for stakeholders to gain excellent visibility within Africa’s innovation ecosystem.
PAAC’s vision is to bring together key stakeholders in the agriculture sector: investors, government, INGOs, NGOs and development agencies to drive a practical Agritech agenda for Africa. The Consortium understands that intra-Africa collaboration in agriculture is the pivot to a prosperous Africa.

PAAC aims to support Agritech programs in African countries and build the capacity of the various ecosystem stakeholders; connect researchers to entrepreneurs and boost intra-Africa partnership among the key stakeholders in the Agritech sector; and support African hubs to be sector-specific to better support Agritech startups, among other objectives.

PAAC was formed in partnership with AfriLabs and pioneered by Paul Mbua of Zixtech HUB, Cameroon; Buffy Okeke-Ojiudu of EAT Africa, Nigeria; Ntieche Njilou Christian of IT Kola, Cameroon; Uche Ekeledo, CEO of FOSU, Nigeria; Nana Adjoa Sifa of Guzakuza, Ghana; Francis Omorojie of Ennovate Hub, Tanzania; Saša Štraus of DIH AGRIFOOD, Slovenia; Zindzi, TheNeoHUB, Botswana; and Flo Mosoane, South Africa.