NGOs Say Germany’s Africa Food Strategy Must Prioritize Food Sovereignty

A policy brief by Power Shift Africa (PSA) and Germanwatch says Germany should put food sovereignty at the centre of agricultural cooperation in Africa.

Power Shift Africa (PSA), a Kenyan climate development policy think tank, and Germanwatch, a German environmental and human rights organization, have urged the German Government to reconsider its agricultural cooperation model for Africa and prioritise food sovereignty and agroecological practices. This was contained in a joint policy brief by the two entities titled: ‘‘What is the Missing Ingredient? The German Agriculture and Food Strategy for Africa 2025.’’

Despite numerous multilateral interventions, Africa remains in the grip of a debilitating food crisis. In 2023, 868 million people across the continent experienced food insecurity, including 342 million suffering from severe hunger. This figure has been made worse by the growing impacts of climate change, which is severely disrupting food production through more frequent and intense droughts, floods, and heat waves.

PSA Programs Manager Amy Thorp said decades of investments in industrialised agricultural systems have not yet shifted the global food system from multinational corporations, leaving Africa’s smallholder farmers vulnerable and dependent on external inputs such as seeds and agrochemicals controlled by just a few global players.

“The German Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) has to shift its approach, ensuring that African nations have the right to control their agricultural future, particularly in light of the growing food insecurity crisis on the continent. In addition, the effects of the escalating climate crisis must always be considered in programmes to combat the food crisis,” Thorp said.

The policy brief emphasises that food sovereignty – the right of communities to control their food systems – is essential for countering corporate capture in agriculture and ensuring that African farmers have the tools, resources, and autonomy to determine their agricultural practices.

Lazarus Nanzala, Policy and Advocacy Advisor at SDG 2 Advocacy Hub, which coordinates global campaigning and advocacy to achieve SDG2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, described food sovereignty as the pre-requisite to securing the right to food, which is enshrined in international law and has been legally adopted by over 160 states.

‘‘Germany and other global partners must prioritise African-led solutions, such as the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme [CAADP] and not repeat colonial frameworks. It is important to dismantle extractive trade structures and invest in climate-resilient, farmer-driven food systems. Only then can Africa cultivate dignity, self-reliance, and justice at the heart of its agri-food systems transformation,’’ he said.

Nanzala stressed that Africa’s food future hinges on reclaiming and owning it its food security as decades of neglect and a lack of concerted efforts have left smallholder farmers shackled to external interests while true resilience lies only in direct investment by our governments in local knowledge and equitable systems that empower communities to manage their land, seeds and future.

On a positive note, BMEL’s Africa Food Strategy reflects a move in the right direction by incorporating agroecology — the practice of integrating ecological principles, social equity, and cultural values, as well as promoting sustainability and the protection of biodiversity.

However, the CSOs caution that while agroecology is a promising framework, BMEL’s strategy fails to fully integrate food sovereignty as a core guiding principle describing food sovereignty as crucial for addressing the underlying issues of land rights, seed sovereignty, and local control over food systems, which are all essential components of sustainable agricultural practices.

Thorp, who was among the authors of the policy brief, said food sovereignty was not just an alternative model but a necessary principle for Africa’s food future. “Without food sovereignty, the power dynamics that have led to widespread hunger and food insecurity will persist. If Germany’s strategy is truly committed to empowering African farmers, it must make food sovereignty center-stage and create a space for African countries to reclaim their food systems from the grip of multinational corporations.”

In addition to advocating for food sovereignty, the policy brief calls for a more robust approach to addressing the climate crisis through agricultural policy. It warns that focusing solely on food production without integrating a deeper climate-resilience lens could further degrade the environment, reduce agricultural capacity, and exacerbate food insecurity. The brief suggests that Germany’s strategy should focus on creating synergies between agricultural productivity, ecosystem restoration, and carbon sequestration.

Germanwatch’s Policy Advisor on Climate Adaptation and Loss and Damage, Lina Adil, says agriculture is on the frontlines of the climate change challenge — but it is also a key part of the solution. “Neglecting the link between land use and climate action risks undermining long-term sustainability. The German Ministry of Food and Agriculture must implement its strategy in a way that harmonises food production, adaptation, and carbon sequestration, transforming agricultural landscapes into powerful allies in the fight against climate change.”

The policy brief stressed that Germany’s strategy should be informed by the lessons of past policies, including its previous strategy on food and agriculture for Africa, which failed to address the root causes of food insecurity in Africa. It also highlights Germany’s pivotal role in supporting the advancement of Africa’s agricultural future, ensuring that Africa’s food systems are rooted in sustainability, equity, and resilience.

Programs Coordinator at Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA), Bridget Mugambe, says while the strategy highlights the impact of agricultural imports on local production and food security, it completely overlooks the power of territorial markets in advancing food sovereignty and resilient livelihoods: ‘‘Across Africa, mega supermarkets are flooding shelves with imported, ultra-processed foods; convenient, but at the cost of local farmers, nutrition, and sustainable food systems.”