AfDB-Led Regional Food Security Initiative Delivers Results Across Four Fragile States

The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) and its partners have reported significant progress in strengthening food security across Burundi, Comoros, Somalia, and South Sudan, as a high-level workshop in Nairobi mapped the next phase of a multi-country agriculture resilience programme.

The initiative—Strengthening Emergency Preparedness and Response to Food Crisis (SEPAREF)—is emerging as a critical regional response to food shocks, combining climate-smart agriculture, digital innovation, and institutional reform to tackle persistent hunger and supply disruptions.

A Strategic Response to Global Food Crises

Launched amid global supply chain disruptions and rising geopolitical tensions, SEPAREF is designed to:

• Strengthen early warning systems for food crises

• Boost production of climate-resilient seeds

• Enhance institutional capacity to respond to shocks

The programme is funded by the AfDB and implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in collaboration with national governments and research institutions.

Tangible Gains: Seeds, Systems, and Scale

Participants at the regional validation workshop (4–6 March 2026, Nairobi) highlighted measurable outcomes that are already impacting farmers on the ground:

• 956+ tonnes of early generation seeds (EGS) produced

  • Improving access to drought- and climate-tolerant crop varieties

• Over 250 seed out-growers supported, strengthening local seed systems

• Rehabilitation of irrigation infrastructure and seed storage facilities

• Establishment of national seed councils to regulate and coordinate seed systems

These interventions are helping reduce reliance on imported seeds while improving local agricultural productivity and resilience.

Digital Agriculture: Reaching 160,000 Farmers

A standout innovation under SEPAREF is the deployment of digital early warning and advisory systems, which have:

• Registered more than 160,000 farmers

• Enabled real-time access to:

  • Weather alerts

  • Pest and disease warnings

  • Farming advisories

These platforms are transforming how smallholder farmers respond to climate risks—shifting from reactive to anticipatory agriculture.

Strengthening Research and Seed Quality

Through partnerships with institutions such as:

• The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)

• The Technologies for African Agriculture Transformation (TAAT) initiative

SEPAREF is enhancing the capacity of National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS) to:

• Develop high-quality seed varieties

• Maintain certification standards

• Scale seed production technologies

This ensures that improved seeds reaching farmers meet international quality benchmarks.

Persistent Challenges: Financing and Sustainability Risks

Despite strong progress, stakeholders flagged critical constraints that could limit long-term impact:

• Limited government budgets in participating countries

• Heavy reliance on donor funding

• Restricted access to capital for seed enterprises

• Weak integration of systems into national frameworks

AfDB Regional Manager Pascal Sanginga stressed the urgency of scaling up:

"This is the moment to transform lessons into a structured, multi-country seed security and resilience programme."

The Next Phase: From Pilot to Scalable Regional Model

The Nairobi workshop served as a "design lab" for the future, with partners agreeing on key priorities:

• Scaling seed production and distribution systems

• Institutionalizing digital early warning platforms

• Strengthening public–private partnerships in the seed sector

• Harmonising regional standards for seed certification

FAO Representative Farayi Zimudzi emphasized sustainability:

"Embedding these systems into national structures is essential—alongside financial models that support long-term growth of seed enterprises."

A Broader Impact: Food Security, Jobs, and Trade

If scaled successfully, SEPAREF could deliver multiple economic benefits:

• Improved food and nutrition security

• Creation of agricultural jobs, particularly in seed systems

• Reduction in grain import bills, easing pressure on foreign exchange

For fragile and conflict-affected countries like Somalia and South Sudan, these gains are particularly critical in reducing vulnerability to climate shocks and market disruptions.

Regional Cooperation as a Game-Changer

The initiative underscores the importance of cross-border collaboration in addressing food insecurity, especially in regions where:

• Climate risks are shared

• Agricultural systems are interconnected

• Supply shocks quickly spill across borders

By aligning governments, development partners, and the private sector, SEPAREF is helping build a coordinated regional resilience framework.

Looking Ahead

With strong commitments from all stakeholders, the next phase of SEPAREF is expected to:

• Expand geographic coverage

• Deepen impact at the farmer level

• Transition from emergency response to long-term agricultural transformation

As Africa faces increasing climate variability and global market uncertainty, initiatives like SEPAREF highlight how innovation, regional cooperation, and targeted investment can reshape food systems and strengthen resilience at scale.