Eight East African countries are looking to attract investment into agriculture and agro-processing as they seek to increase the value of farm produce and strengthen regional trade.
Officials from Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan and Uganda met in Kigali on Aug. 24 for the Hand-in-Hand Investment Forum for Eastern Africa, organized by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
The forum is intended to connect investors with agricultural projects and identify opportunities that can generate returns while benefiting farmers and rural communities.
Mohamed Aw Dahir, FAO representative in Rwanda, said the focus should now shift from discussing opportunities to securing investments that can deliver measurable results.
“We need to move from discussions to concrete action,” he said, adding that the success of the forum would depend on its ability to turn ideas into investments that benefit farmers, the private sector and rural communities.
The FAO’s Hand-in-Hand initiative is designed to help countries move toward investment-led agricultural development rather than relying mainly on aid-funded projects.
Agriculture and Animal Resources Minister, Dr. Telesphore Ndabamenye, said investment opportunities already exist but need to be developed into viable projects capable of attracting capital and generating returns.
“The opportunities are there. What remains is to turn them into investments that can generate returns, grow and contribute to development,” he said.
Ndabamenye said Rwanda is working with FAO to identify opportunities across the agricultural sector and prepare projects that can link investors with financing, technology and expertise.
FAO Eastern Africa Regional Coordinator Farayi Zimudzi identified coffee, livestock and dairy, fisheries, horticulture, cereals and oilseed crops among areas with investment potential.
However, climate change, inadequate infrastructure, high transport costs and limited access to finance remain challenges for investors, she said.
Zimudzi called for greater cooperation among governments, businesses, financial institutions and development partners to address the barriers.
The forum comes ahead of the Africa Food Systems Summit in Kigali in early September and the FAO Hand-in-Hand Investment Forum in Rome in October.
