Agriculture in Africa is undergoing a quiet revolution, driven by innovation and an unwavering commitment to feed the continent while confronting the growing threats of climate change. At the heart of this transformation is the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) programme, an initiative launched in 2018 to address food insecurity and boost agricultural productivity through modern, climate-smart approaches.
TAAT plays a crucial role in advancing Africa’s broader development agenda. It aligns with strategic priorities to ensure food security, raise agricultural output, and enhance rural livelihoods. Seven years into its implementation, the programme has proven the effectiveness of deploying high-impact technologies at scale across the continent.
Africa holds 65% of the world’s uncultivated arable land and is rich in natural resources. Despite this, it continues to rely heavily on food imports, while nearly 220 million people face chronic undernourishment. This paradox underscores the urgent need for bold, innovative solutions to transform African agriculture into a driver of development and resilience.
TAAT has taken significant strides toward this vision. It has supported over 12 million farmers across 34 African countries by providing access to a wide range of improved technologies. These include heat-resistant wheat, drought-tolerant maize, high-yield rice, iron-rich beans, cassava, millet, orange-flesh sweet potatoes, improved livestock breeds, and aquaculture solutions. These interventions have increased food production by approximately 25 million tonnes and enhanced the resilience of farming systems to climate shocks.
In addition to delivering seeds and crops tailored for Africa’s diverse climates, TAAT has introduced better water management practices and pest control methods, including the fight against fall armyworm. Its innovation platforms help integrate new technologies into broader agricultural systems, reinforcing their impact on food security and sustainability.
The programme’s results have been especially transformative in countries like Ethiopia and Sudan. In Ethiopia, the nationwide rollout of heat-resistant wheat has turned the country into a net wheat exporter within five years. Between 2018 and 2022, irrigated wheat farming expanded from just under 5,000 hectares to 650,000 hectares, with yields doubling and production rising by 1.6 million tonnes in 2022 alone. Total wheat output reached seven million tonnes, marking a remarkable shift toward self-sufficiency.
In Sudan, wheat production rose from 224,700 hectares in 2014-2015 to over 315,000 hectares in the 2019-2020 season, yielding a record 1.2 million tonnes. The country is now on track to reach wheat self-sufficiency by 2025-2026. Similarly, Zimbabwe has also achieved food self-sufficiency through TAAT’s interventions.
Beyond crops, the programme has modernized agricultural practices by promoting the use of digital tools for data collection and project monitoring. Agri-data enhances decision-making, improves resource allocation, and increases land productivity making farming more efficient and less environmentally damaging.
TAAT’s impact has not gone unnoticed. It has received recognition from various development and industry groups for its contributions to sustainable agriculture. The initiative stands as a model of how technology and innovation can unlock Africa’s agricultural potential.
As food security remains a central theme in Africa’s development, programmes like TAAT offer a compelling blueprint for success. By harnessing science and scaling up proven solutions, Africa is turning its vast agricultural potential into a cornerstone of sustainable development and economic growth.
