From Policy to Profit: Why Agribusinesses Struggle to Scale and What Must Change

Africa does not lack agricultural ambition.

What it lacks is consistent execution that translates policy into profitable, scalable agribusinesses.

This is the challenge at the heart of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP).

Since its inception in 2003 under the Maputo Declaration, CAADP has served as Africa’s continental blueprint for agricultural transformation, committing governments to invest in agriculture, drive growth, and reduce poverty. The 2014 Malabo Declaration deepened this ambition, setting bold targets around food security, trade, and resilience.

Yet, two decades later, progress has been uneven.

The 2024 CAADP Biennial Review confirmed a critical reality:

Africa is not on track to meet its agricultural transformation goals.

This is not a failure of vision. It is a failure of translation.

A New Decade, A Necessary Shift

The CAADP Strategy and Action Plan (2026–2035) represents a significant shift in approach. It moves beyond an agriculture-led model to a more integrated agrifood systems approach, recognizing that transformation does not happen at the farm level alone, but across the entire value chain.

This shift reflects the realities shaping Africa’s food systems today:

• Rapid urbanization
• Changing dietary preferences and demand for processed foods
• A growing middle class
• Expanding regional trade opportunities under AfCFTA
• Increasing climate risks

It also places stronger emphasis on:

• Agro-industrialization and value addition
• Private sector participation
• Women and youth inclusion
• Climate resilience
• Investment mobilization

The message is clear: Africa’s food future will be driven by systems, not just production.

The Agribusiness Reality: Producing Without Scaling

Despite this policy evolution, agribusinesses across Africa continue to face persistent structural constraints.

Many are productive but not profitable. Active but not scalable.

Some of these barriers include:

• Limited access to finance
• Fragmented market access
• Weak value chain integration
• Climate vulnerability
• Barriers to standards and certification

…and the list goes on.

These challenges are well known. What remains unresolved is how to address them systematically and at scale.

From Policy to Profit: What Must Change

The CAADP 2026–2035 strategy sets a clear direction for transforming Africa’s agrifood systems.

But delivering on this ambition requires a critical shift: from policy frameworks to enterprise execution.

This means placing agribusinesses, not just agriculture, at the center of implementation.

To unlock real impact, a few priorities stand out:

• Build investment-ready agribusinesses through structured support
• Position processing as the bridge between production and markets
• Unlock financing through innovative, risk-sharing models
• Strengthen market access and trade integration
• Embed climate resilience into business models
• Expand inclusion for women and youth
• Improve coordination between policy, funding, and enterprise systems

These priorities are not new.

What is needed now is intentional execution — at scale, and through platforms that can connect them.

From Dialogue to Action: Bridging the Gap

This is why African Food Changemakers (AFC), in partnership with Community Action for Food Security Africa (CAFS Africa), is convening a strategic dialogue:

“From Policy to Enterprise: Translating CAADP into Scalable Agribusiness Opportunities in Nigeria.”

This is not just another policy conversation. It is a deliberate effort to:

• Bridge the gap between policy and enterprise
• Align development partners, investors, and agribusinesses
• Identify actionable pathways for growth
• Unlock funding and partnership opportunities

Because the future of CAADP depends not on policy documents but on the businesses that grow because of it.

The Role of AFC: Accelerating What Policy Starts

At African Food Changemakers, we recognize that policy alone cannot transform food systems.

Transformation happens when enterprises scale.

Through our accelerator approach, we are working to:

• Build resilient, investment-ready agribusinesses
• Strengthen value chains
• Connect businesses to markets and capital
• Drive inclusive and sustainable growth

Because while policy sets direction, enterprises drive transformation.

The Future is Systems-Led, Enterprise-Driven

The CAADP 2026–2035 agenda signals a new era for Africa’s agrifood systems; one that is more integrated, inclusive, and resilient.

But its success will depend on one thing: execution at the enterprise level.

Africa’s food future will be built by businesses that scale, systems that enable growth, and investments that unlock opportunity.

The path forward is clear:

We must move from policy to profit and from intention to impact.

Author: Indagiju Mambula