There is global recognition that hunger and the cycle of poverty in Africa are two of the most significant development challenges that the world faces today. USAID's African agricultural activities are focused on reducing hunger, combating rural poverty, promoting economic growth and protecting the environment. Studies have shown agriculture to be the most effective driver of growth in the world’s poorest countries. Raising agricultural productivity is essential for reducing rural poverty and enhancing food security. But any plans for improving agriculture depend on improving the economic, legal and trade conditions under which farmers and agribusinesses must operate.

Vital to USAID's efforts to address the growing issue of hunger is the Initiative to End Hunger in Africa (IEHA). The problem of hunger in Africa is widespread and getting worse. The numbers are staggering. It is estimated that one in three people in Africa are currently undernourished and that a third of all the world's undernourished people reside in sub-Saharan Africa. According to a USDA study, by 2010 Africa may account for nearly two-thirds of the undernourished people in the world. The primary objective of the initiative is to rapidly and sustainably increase agricultural growth and rural incomes in sub-Saharan Africa. To reach this objective, USAID will invest in technical assistance and training to promote science and technology in key agricultural commodities; expand market and trade opportunities; strengthen producer, processor and trade organizations; protect the vulnerable and manage risk; ensure environmental sustainability; and further institutional capacity building. IEHA is currently being implemented through three sub-regional platforms (in East, West and Southern Africa) as well as individual country programs in Ghana, Zambia and Kenya.

Other activities such as the Agribusiness in Sustainable Natural African Plant Products (ASNAPP) and the Sustainable Tree Crop Program (STCP) are working in innovative ways to capitalize on new products and transform traditional crops, using the power of trade and markets. ASNAPP encourages farmers and entrepreneurs to develop new crops and traditional botanicals and medicinal plants that can compete in the lucrative world market. STCP is helping small farmers conserve their tree crop resources, increase the value of their crops by using new strains and promote better processing to raise incomes. STCP also encourages the use of agroforestry and tree crops to restore degraded environments.

Meeting the challenges of African agriculture means creating new knowledge management systems and information networks to share successes and experiences. Knowledge can improve policy making and planning as well as program monitoring and evaluation. It can give decision-makers information based on sound empirical data and rigorous analysis. The Strategic Analysis and Knowledge Support System (SAKSS) supplies this need by collecting and compiling data, developing analytical tools, contributing to national monitoring and evaluation systems and supplying timely information to national institutions and USAID missions. SAKSS will not only help bring together an array of tools and spatially based data systems, but will help to ensure that investments: (1) are developed and assessed transparently; (2) avoid unnecessary duplication; and (3) respond to the goals and priorities of all stakeholders. In this way SAKSS will contribute to the goal of building alliances and helping Africans adopt new policies to improve agriculture and raise rural incomes.

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