Africa: Breaking Hoe – Can Mechanization End Africa’s Hunger Crisis?

ADDIS ABABA — As African nations strive to address food insecurity and reduce their dependence on costly food imports, experts and policymakers argue that mechanization could be the missing link to achieving food sovereignty by 2050.

Despite the continent’s immense natural potential, agriculture in Africa remains largely traditional and under-mechanized, which continues to impede productivity and resilience.

Africa possesses a wealth of resources that could support agricultural transformation. With two-thirds of the world’s uncultivated arable land, abundant freshwater, and a youthful labor force, the continent is well positioned to feed its growing population and supply regional markets. However, the reality on the ground paints a starkly different picture.

Around 65 percent of agricultural labor still depends on human muscle, while draught animals and rudimentary engines account for most of the remaining farm power. This heavy reliance on outdated tools significantly limits output and contributes to widespread hunger.

Food insecurity remains a pressing issue, affecting over 282 million Africans. The situation has worsened since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which pushed millions more into hunger. In a region where nearly one in five people struggles to access sufficient food, the call for sustainable and inclusive agricultural transformation is urgent.

A major step toward this transformation, according to agricultural experts, lies in the adoption of mechanization not only to boost production but also to reduce post-harvest losses and improve agro-processing.

Former African Union Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment, Ambassador Josefa Leonel Correia Sacko, and Ethiopia’s State Minister of Agricultural Investment and Input Sector, Sofia Kassa (PhD), both emphasized the importance of mechanization during their discussion with The Ethiopian Herald. They agreed that Africa cannot hope to feed its projected 2.4 billion people by mid-century without radically improving the efficiency of its agricultural systems.

Recognizing this, the African Union Commission launched the Framework for Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization in Africa, known as F-SAMA, in 2018. The framework was developed to guide countries toward effective and locally adapted mechanization strategies.

While the initiative has sparked interest, implementation remains uneven across the continent. To change public perceptions and accelerate adoption, the AU also initiated a symbolic campaign in 2015 led by Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma (PhD) to replace the traditional hand-held hoe with modern equipment. She famously handed over a power tiller to African leaders, urging them to embrace mechanization as a critical step forward.

Since then, efforts have been ongoing to promote the framework and engage diverse stakeholders. A series of international webinars brought together thousands of participants including machinery manufacturers, farmer organizations, nonprofit actors, and representatives from nearly all African countries. A number of AU member states, including Benin, Chad, Ghana, Liberia, Mali, Sierra Leone, Togo, and Zambia, have already revised or introduced national strategies aligned with the framework.

In Ethiopia, progress is being made, albeit at a slower pace. According to Sofia Kassa (PhD), the country is working to promote mechanization particularly in wheat-growing regions, but adoption remains limited when compared to other sub-Saharan countries.

Regional disparities also exist, with places like Oromia showing greater uptake than regions such as Amhara. Challenges persist due to gaps in infrastructure, limited policy support, high equipment costs, a shortage of trained operators, and difficulty accessing maintenance services and spare parts.

To help address these challenges and build local capacity, Ethiopia inaugurated the Agricultural Mechanization Excellence Institute in February. Located in the Qaliti area of Addis Ababa and developed in partnership with South Korea, the center is designed to support research, inspection, training, and repair of agricultural machinery.