BANANA IN AFRICA

A sector for the future

  • "Today, Africa spends $35 billion on food imports. In reality, it doesn't need these food imports, because it has so much agricultural potential and so much land. It holds 65% of the world's unused arable land."
    Akinwumi Adesina
    Président de la Banque africaine de développement
  • "If we give small farmers the means to realize their aspirations, they will be able to carry the weight of Africa's development single-handedly."
    
Agnes Kalibata
    Former Minister of Agriculture, Rwanda
  • "It's time to change our way of thinking. Farmers are not the cause of Africa's poverty; on the contrary, they are a potential solution. They bring us closer to a future in line with our sustainable development goals."
    Kofi Annan
    Former UN Secretary General

Key figures

Banana in Africa

Human factors

The future of young people is at the heart of debates in all African countries. Today, 62% of the population of sub-Saharan Africa is under the age of 25. This demographic explosion worries many experts, who speak of a "time bomb".

Contrary to popular belief, African women are an integral part of the continent's agricultural sector. The figures speak for themselves: women account for up to 62% of workers in the sector, and are responsible for around 80% of the food produced in sub-Saharan Africa.

One of the most important issues is post-harvest storage, since storage problems lead to the loss of 40-60% of each harvest.

While the image of a poor, starving Africa is all too often caricatured in the media, the fight against poverty and food insecurity remains a topical issue for the continent: 1 in 4 people in sub-Saharan Africa is undernourished.