• Our Programmes

    Agribusiness

Boosting agricultural productivity and food security in sub-Saharan Africa

Low levels of productivity and poorly integrated value chains greatly limit Africa’s ability to feed itself. And yet in sub-Saharan Africa, agriculture accounts for 32% of GDP and employs 65% of the workforce. The potential for agriculture to reduce food insecurity and poverty on the continent is not to be underestimated. At the AECF, we believe small and growing businesses hold the key to driving agricultural transformation and building resilience among smallholder communities. By providing catalytic funding and technical support to these enterprises, we work to boost productivity and improve the lives of smallholder farmers in Africa.

Since 2009, our agribusiness work has supported 198 companies across 26 countries in over 40 value chains. Through this portfolio we have invested over US$ 210 million, and currently have more than 35 active projects in the field. We have supported a diverse range of enterprises, including improved seed varieties and livestock vaccines, the introduction of new farming systems and agribusiness models, as well as the provision of financial, media and information services and technologies.

Ongoing Programmes

    Seed for Impact

    Seed for Impact (SIP) is co-funded by AGRA and the Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture (SFSA), the programme aims to break the cycle of low productivity and poverty among smallholder farmers by expanding access to quality seeds.

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    Finance for Inclusive Growth in Somalia

    The Finance for Inclusive Growth in Somalia (FIG-Somalia) is an EU-Funded pilot programme component under the European Union’s Inclusive Local and Economic Development (ILED) programme.

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    Investing in Women in South Sudan

    The Investing in Women in South Sudan (IIW-SS) is a gender equality and economic inclusion programme that responds to the continuing poverty, food insecurity, and climate vulnerability that these small-scale farmers.

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Closed Programmes

    Agribusiness in Africa Window

    The Agribusiness in Africa Window (AAW) consists of Round 1 that came to a close in 2020 and Round 2 came to a close in 2022.

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    The Tanzania Agribusiness Window

    The Tanzania Agribusiness Window (TZAW) was established to support agricultural businesses in Tanzania to support smallholder farmers to increase their productivity and income.

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    General Window

    The first of AECF’s investment programmes running from 2011, the General Window invested nearly $30m in a wide range of companies across Africa.

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    African Agribusiness Window

    AECF’s flagship agribusiness programme was developed from the success of the preceding General Window and launched in 2012.

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    Research into Business

    The investment programme Research into Business was created as part of a broader UK aid intervention to support the transition of innovative ideas from research into successful commercial enterprises.

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    Zimbabwe Agribusiness Window

    South Sudan Window

    In order to bring the market systems approach to more frontier markets, AECF implemented a small investment window in South Sudan funded by the UK taxpayer.

    South Sudan Window

    Post Conflict Window

    In response to the start of the South Sudan Window, Sida funded the Post Conflict Window – a programme that sought to provide private sector solutions to countries emerging from longer term conflict. It provided $12.6m in grants to 19 companies in Somaliland, Liberia, Sierra Leone and the DRC, covering a wide range of value chains.

    Post Conflict Window