International Policy Digest: Optimizing Africa’s Food Systems
Richard Munang, program coordinator, and Robert Mgendi, ecosystem-based adaptation program officer,  both with the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) Regional Office for Africa Climate Change Programme

“…With the right approaches that work with nature, efforts to optimize the agro-value chain in Africa can result in not only food security but also cross-cutting benefits, including a healthy environment, healthy people, and poverty reduction. … A number of enablers to this optimization, including policies, institutions, investments, and markets have to be addressed to unleash this latent potential in the agro-sector. … [I]nvestments to optimize the agro-value chain means better health care in Africa. Building on these areas will go a long way in ensuring agriculture not only feeds Africa but promotes inclusive growth and a healthy people in a healthy environment. Though this sounds like a dream come true, it is an imperative that, we all must commit ourselves to it [at] all levels of policy, institutional, regulatory, and financing…” (11/8).