The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), a Kenya-based NGO dedicated to improving food security across the continent, has lost Ksh.5 billion ($40 million) in funding following recent aid cuts by the United States government. The setback comes in the wake of an executive order by U.S. President Donald Trump, which froze all foreign aid for three months, leading to significant financial strain on several global humanitarian programs.
AGRA, which has worked with smallholder farmers across 12 African countries since 2011, has been a key player in driving sustainable agricultural practices and increasing food production. According to AGRA president Alice Ruhweza, the funding loss part of a larger $100 million grant from USAID will have serious implications for ongoing agricultural projects.
“Reduced resources from USAID means that all that groundwork… will be affected,” Ruhweza said, noting that other traditional donors from Europe have also scaled back their contributions amid global economic pressures. She described the situation as a critical reminder for African nations to prioritize domestic investment in agriculture, calling it the continent’s “engine of economic growth.”
“If we invest our resources well, we probably don’t need aid,” she added.
The funding crisis extends beyond AGRA. The United Nations World Food Programme announced this week it would suspend food aid to 650,000 malnourished women and children in Ethiopia due to a lack of funds. The agency warned that 3.6 million people in the country may lose access to food assistance in the coming weeks unless urgent financing is secured.
This growing funding gap reflects a wider trend. The Paris-based Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) recently reported a 7.1 percent drop in global development aid between 2023 and 2024 the first such decline in six years as donor countries re-evaluate their aid budgets.
With the continent already grappling with climate shocks, conflict, and economic instability, the loss of aid poses a serious challenge to food security efforts. Experts warn that unless African governments take proactive steps to invest in agriculture and build resilience, millions may face worsening hunger and poverty.
