Africa is not short of agricultural innovation, as hundreds of emerging and underused technologies have the potential to transform productivity, climate resilience and food security across the continent, according to the 2025 Annual Trends and Outlook Report (ATOR 2025).
The real bottleneck isn’t invention – it’s integration – according to a report titled “Moving the Technology Frontiers in African Agrifood Systems.”
Africa needs coordinated, system-wide interventions to strengthen the adoption, interoperability and context‑appropriate use of existing innovations if it is to unlock the next decade of productivity gains, the report argues.
Digital tools, precision agriculture, remote sensing, AI, biotechnology, mechanisation, organisational innovations and next‑generation climate‑smart systems all offer major benefits. However, without supportive institutions, coherent regulatory frameworks, predictable policy environments and organised diffusion pathways, their impact remains fragmented rather than transformative.
Technology alone won’t deliver
Africa’s agri-food future will be shaped not only by what technologies exist, but by how they are governed, financed and embedded within inclusive institutions, the report argues, which is published by Rwanda‑based policy institute AKADEMIYA2063.
With strategic investment in science, digital infrastructure, empowered producer organisations, climate‑resilient innovation pathways and strong accountability systems, Africa could move from technology adoption to technology leadership – influencing global responses to climate change, food insecurity and sustainable development.
Dr. Ousmane Badiane, executive chairperson of AKADEMIYA2063, said the technology frontier is not a single breakthrough, but an integrated ecosystem of biological, digital, engineering, ecological and institutional innovations operating within a supportive political economy.
Weak institutions, not lack of innovation, are the main constraint
ATOR 2025 emphasises that Africa’s productivity constraints stem less from a lack of technologies than from persistent adoption barriers.
Its analytical framework identifies three complementary pathways for transformation:
- Technological progress
- Improved technical efficiency
- Reduced transaction costs
Across these areas, the report finds that weak institutional support, uneven diffusion and limited adaptation to African realities have prevented innovations from achieving system-wide scale.
The review covers a vast landscape of emerging technologies – AI and geospatial tools, digital agriculture, mechanisation, irrigation, livestock systems, insect farming, aquaponics, value addition and circular‑economy solutions – yet stresses that impact depends on governance, financing, inclusive diffusion and sustained R&D investment.
New indices reveal where Africa could leap ahead
The report features two new indices designed to help governments and investors prioritise action:
1. The Untapped Potential Index
A first-of-its-kind metric identifying countries with the greatest potential to scale AI‑ and geospatial‑enabled agrifood transformation.
- South Africa and Botswana: leaders in current deployment
- Kenya, Egypt, Ghana and Mali: nearing readiness
- South Sudan, Niger and Zambia: highest untapped potential – significant needs, strong enabling conditions, but low adoption and high hunger levels
These countries have the infrastructure to scale digital innovation but require targeted investment and policy alignment.
2. The Agricultural R&D System Capacity Index
A new ranking that measures how effectively countries convert agricultural R&D investment into real scientific capability.
Early applications in West Africa show Ghana making substantial progress, driven by a high share of PhD‑qualified researchers, strong per‑researcher investment and rising research intensity.
Opportunities for low‑carbon, circular and water‑smart agrifood systems
ATOR 2025 identifies multiple under‑deployed opportunities:
- Broader use of small‑scale irrigation, water harvesting and resource‑efficient technologies
- Growth of insect farming, organic waste valorisation, and circular‑economy solutions
- Rapid adoption of aquaponics and integrated nutrient management
- New economic opportunities for youth‑owned SMEs and digital entrepreneurs
These technologies, the report notes, align closely with the Kampala Declaration, an AU framework aiming to transform African agriculture by 2035, with CAADP monitoring systems playing an expanded role.
Five strategic priorities for Africa’s next decade of agrifood innovation
The report sets out five priorities to guide future investment and policy design under the Kampala CAADP Agenda:
- Strengthen innovation ecosystems and science institution: Long‑term R&D funding, regulatory coherence, regional collaboration and better performance metrics.
- Promote inclusive technology: Empower producer organisations, SMEs, youth‑led enterprises and digital innovators.
- Expand digital and climate‑intelligence infrastructure: Invest in geospatial tools, digital twins, AI analytics and real‑time data systems for climate risk management.
- Prioritise climate adaptation and resilience: Support climate‑smart technologies across crops, livestock, water systems and circular‑economy domains.
- Strengthen governance, coordination and accountability: Ensure CAADP systems evolve to reflect broader agrifood system objectives.
H.E. Moses Vilakati, Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment at the African Union Commission, said the report offers timely evidence on how frontier technologies can be governed and scaled to deliver food security, inclusive growth and climate adaptation.
He stressed its value as a strategic reference for policymakers, investors and researchers, helping build agrifood systems that are more productive, resilient and equitable.
Africa doesn’t lack technology – it lacks integration
ATOR 2025 provides a clear message: Africa already has the innovations it needs. What it needs now is:
- better coordination
- stronger institutions
- smarter diffusion pathways
- interoperable digital systems
- policies that match scientific progress
With these in place, Africa can shift from incremental adoption to continent‑wide transformation – and from being a technology taker to becoming a global technology shaper.
