The Policy Studies Institute (PSI) of Ethiopia and the Africa Network of Agricultural Policy Research Institutes (ANAPRI) have called for stronger African-led policy institutions, more effective regional trade, and increased investment in agricultural value addition as the continent seeks to build competitive, resilient, and inclusive agrifood economies.
The call was made in a joint press statement issued on 24 October 2026 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Addis Ababa, ahead of the 13th ANAPRI Annual Stakeholders Conference, scheduled to take place from 26 to 30 October 2026 under the theme “Building Competitive Agrifood Economies: Policy, Trade, and Industrialization Pathways for Africa.” The conference is being hosted in partnership with Ethiopia’s Policy Studies Institute.
The joint statement underscored the importance of moving beyond agricultural production toward a comprehensive transformation of Africa’s agrifood systems. This transformation requires policies that connect farmers to markets, promote agro-processing and industrialization, strengthen regional value chains, expand employment opportunities, and enable African countries to retain a greater share of the value generated from their agricultural products.
“Africa’s agricultural transformation must go beyond increasing production. We must also build competitive agrifood industries, expand regional markets, create jobs and retain more value from what we produce,” said Dr. Antony Chapoto, Executive Director of ANAPRI.
The statement emphasized that strong African institutions and locally generated research evidence are essential to developing effective agricultural policies and responding to the continent’s changing economic and food-system challenges.
Although African countries have adopted various agricultural development strategies and continental commitments, challenges remain in translating these commitments into consistent policies, effective implementation, and measurable improvements in agricultural productivity, food security, employment, and economic competitiveness.
Dr. Desalegne Begna of the Policy Studies Institute emphasized the importance of strengthening African ownership of agricultural policy and ensuring that research informs practical decisions. He said,“Building competitive agrifood economies requires more than ambitious strategies; it requires strong African institutions, coherent policies, and evidence-based decisions that respond to the realities of our farmers, businesses, and consumers. Through stronger research-policy linkages and regional collaboration, African countries can transform their agricultural potential into industrial growth, employment opportunities, and sustainable economic development.”
The statement further highlighted the importance of collaboration among governments, research institutions, private sector actors, regional organizations, and development partners. Such collaboration can help bridge the gap between policy research and implementation while ensuring that agricultural policies respond to the needs of producers, agribusinesses, and consumers.
The 13th ANAPRI Annual Stakeholders Conference will bring together policymakers, agricultural policy research institutions, private sector representatives, and development partners to examine the policy and institutional reforms required to improve Africa’s agrifood competitiveness.
Key areas of discussion will include regional trade and market integration, the effects of global economic shocks, agricultural subsidies, soil health and agricultural input systems, technological change and artificial intelligence, and the implementation of continental and national agricultural commitments.
Participants will also examine how African countries can strengthen domestic production systems while improving cross-border trade, expanding access to regional markets, and developing agro-processing industries that create employment and increase the economic returns from agricultural production.
Greater regional market integration is particularly important for improving the movement of agricultural products, strengthening value chains, and enabling producers and agribusinesses to reach larger markets. Similarly, investment in agro-processing, technology, infrastructure, and agricultural research can help African countries reduce post-harvest losses, improve product quality, and increase the competitiveness of their agricultural exports.
The conference will provide an opportunity for stakeholders to exchange policy experiences, identify practical solutions, and strengthen partnerships aimed at addressing these challenges.
A key feature of the conference will be the introduction of ANAPRI’s Strategic Plan for 2027–2031. The plan seeks to strengthen policy intelligence, enhance institutional capabilities, and improve the translation of agricultural research into practical policy solutions and learning.
Through this strategic direction, ANAPRI aims to reinforce the role of African agricultural policy research institutions in generating credible evidence, supporting informed decision-making, and developing context-specific responses to agricultural and food-system challenges.
The network brings together 17 agricultural policy research institutions across 16 African countries. Its work focuses on strengthening research capacity, facilitating policy engagement, and promoting evidence-informed agricultural development across the continent.
The conference is expected to provide a platform for identifying opportunities to deepen collaboration among member institutions and their partners, while strengthening the contribution of African research organizations to national and continental policy processes.
PSI and ANAPRI stressed that the success of the conference will depend not only on the quality of discussions but also on the partnerships, policy engagement, and concrete follow-up actions generated beyond the event.
The two institutions called for sustained collaboration to ensure that policy recommendations are translated into practical interventions capable of improving agricultural productivity, strengthening agrifood industries, expanding trade, creating decent jobs, and building more resilient food systems.
The joint initiative also reflects the importance of African-led research and policy institutions in shaping development priorities and supporting solutions grounded in the continent’s economic, institutional, and social realities.
As African countries seek to respond to changing global markets, economic uncertainties, technological developments, and growing food-system pressures, stronger policy institutions and coordinated regional action will remain important to building competitive and sustainable agrifood economies.
The 13th ANAPRI Annual Stakeholders Conference is expected to advance these discussions and contribute to a shared policy agenda for agricultural transformation, trade integration, and industrial development across Africa.
The Policy Studies Institute (PSI) is an Ethiopian public policy research institution mandated to conduct policy-oriented research and provide evidence to inform policymaking and development planning. Through research, policy dialogue, and collaboration with national and international partners, PSI contributes to the development of informed and context-responsive public policies in Ethiopia.
The Africa Network of Agricultural Policy Research Institutes (ANAPRI) is a pan-African network of agricultural policy research institutions working to strengthen evidence-informed policymaking and institutional capabilities across Africa. Through research collaboration, policy engagement, and knowledge exchange, ANAPRI supports the development of practical policy responses to agricultural and food-system challenges.
