Africa Agriculture and Trade Investment Fund

It is a fact that Agriculture holds the key to broad based economic growth, poverty reduction and food security in sub-saharan Africa.This is due to the importance of the sector to the local economy, the extent of rural poverty and the dependence of 50 million small farms on agricultural incomes.

Globally, Sub-Saharan Africa is the only region which faces ongoing challenges to improve agricultural productivity, due to under-investment,poor infrastructure,insecure land tenure, unfavourable price policies and weak institutions. With the above sorted out, agriculture has huge potential in making unused land arable, using untapped water resources,improving yields, expanding local value chains and contributing to meeting Africa”s and the worlds increasing demand for food.

One institution that has positioned itself in this regard is the Africa Agriculture and Trade Investment Fund (AATIF). AATIF aims to sustainably support incomes of people working in agriculture, ensure food security and increase the competitiveness of local business. This bodys mission is to unlock the potential of the African agricultural sector at all levels.This refers to production,processing, services and trade for the benefit of the poor.The fund aims to provide additional employment and income for farmers, entrepreneurs and laborers alike. Its focus is on increasing productivity, production and local value creation through knowledge transfer and investment in efficient structures.

The good news for South Africa and the entire African continent is that AATIF emphasises generating alternative investments along the entire agricultural value chain.