By Chinwe Mmaju

Seventy-eight years ago, the United Nations took a bold step towards eradicating hunger and strengthening food security by establishing the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on October 16, 1945. Today, we commemorate this milestone with World Food Day, a global call to action to ensure everyone can access nutritious food.  

In Africa, where agriculture is the backbone of economies, unsung heroes work tirelessly to change the narrative that the continent cannot feed itself. At Africa Food Changemakers, we empower these entrepreneurs, support their efforts, and amplify their impact, fostering a sense of pride and connection to their achievements.  

Honouring the Unseen Champions  

On World Food Day, we spotlight the resilient individuals driving transformative change in our food systems. Their unwavering dedication inspires hope and reminds us that a hunger-free Africa is within reach.  

Meet the Changemakers  

We proudly recognise ten remarkable individuals who are revolutionising Africa's food landscape. These unsung heroes are:  

1. Smallholder Farmers: Millions of African smallholder farmers, like Bakayoko Mohammed Lamine from Cote d'Ivoire and Tjedza Peba of Botswana, cultivate the land, nurture crops, and feed their communities. Their dedication ensures local food security and economic growth. Bakayoko is the founder of Group Avva and specialises in the sale of coffee and the production and sale of ground coffee and roasted beans. They also produce coffee-flavoured local spices such as ginger, mint, Guinea pepper, etc. Tjedza founded the Farmer's Daughter, a leading Botswana's Southern District food production farm. These farmers are not only battling the effects of climate change and land degradation but also striving to meet the increasing food demand of a growing population.  
2. Food Innovators: Innovators like Marlene José from Angola develop sustainable food processing, storage, and distribution solutions. Their impactful work reduces food waste and increases access to nutritious food. She founded Foodcare, LDA, a food processing factory based in Luanda that is integrating, growing and making full use of Angolan industrial history in agro-industry, drawing on the technical knowledge of team and family background in the food trade in Angola. She aims to help farmers with new technologies, such as solar water pumps, to enable them to produce qualified and nutritious vegetables throughout the year.  
3. Community Leaders: Leaders like Drissa Tessougue from Mali mobilise communities to adopt climate-resilient agriculture practices, promote nutrition education, and support vulnerable groups. Drissa, as a Country representative of Young Professionals for Young Professionals for Agricultural Development (YPARD), plays a crucial role in connecting and empowering young agricultural leaders to shape sustainable food systems.    
4. Social Entrepreneurs: Entrepreneurs like Claudia Castellanos from Eswatini and Jacqueline Banda from Malawi create sustainable food businesses, providing employment opportunities and affordable, healthy food options. She is the co-founder of Black Mamba Foods, a social enterprise that manufactures and distributes products which include chilli sauces, pestos, chutneys and jams, all made with organically grown ingredients and no added preservatives. They train smallholders in permaculture and organic farming to give back to the community. Jacqueline is the managing director of Jeyie Foods, an agriculture addition farm that produces soya, groundnuts, maise, and chilli. Furthermore, they process chilli sauce, peanut butter, and porridge flour to ensure well-nourished produce. A core aspect of Jeyie Foods' mission is to support local communities as they source farm produce from 178 women smallholder farmers.     
5. Food Activists: Activists like Joseph Lamcma from Cameroon advocate for policy changes, supporting small-scale farmers and promoting equitable food distribution. He is the CEO of Africa Gastronomique, a Limited Liability Company based in Buea, and their goal is to revolutionise African gastronomy. They aim to create innovative cultural and historical products to sublimate African gastronomy. They aim to make it easy for the world to access and discover wellness products.   
6. Agri-novators: Innovation experts like Prince Joel Bisong of Nigeria and Jean Claude Niyomugabo of Rwanda are carving out paths to optimise agricultural practices and make processes seamless. Prince Joel co-founded GML Farms, an agritech company focused on bridging the gap in good farming practices through eco-friendly agrarian inputs. Their unique asset management and logistics mix has enabled them to provide end-to-end farm management to smallholder farmers. Jean Claude founded Agirite, a digital company that leverages the power of social media to explore the intersection between digital technology, sustainable agriculture, and youth in agribusiness.  
7. Agro-service Providers: Nadia Akiyo from Bénin, the founder of Veto Plus, is a highly accomplished poultry farming expert and entrepreneur with an impressive 15-year track record. Her unwavering commitment lies in elevating the quality of meat consumed by the population of Benin. Through Veto Plus Benin, Nadia empowers farmers by providing them with essential inputs and comprehensive training, enabling them to optimise their production processes. Her primary goal is to minimise the use of antibiotics in farm nutrition, addressing a significant public health concern.   

Join the Movement  

Let us celebrate these champions and the progress made towards a hunger-free Africa where everyone has access to nutritious food. Together, we can:  

1. Support local food initiatives  

2. Promote sustainable agriculture practices  

3. Empower smallholder farmers  

4. Foster community-led solutions  

On World Food Day, we reaffirm our commitment to unlocking Africa's potential to feed itself. Join us in honouring these changemakers and accelerating the journey towards a food-secure Africa. Your support can make a significant difference in their efforts to nourish Africa.  

Happy World Food Day!  

To learn more about our Changemakers and their inspiring stories, click here.