Yes — and it’s one of the most frustrating paradoxes in Africa’s food system.

Africa grows enough food — yet still imports much of what it eats?

Despite vast fertile land and diverse climates, many African countries import billions of dollars’ worth of food annually — including staples like rice, wheat, and sugar.

 Reasons include:

• Underinvestment in local agriculture and infrastructure

• Cheap imports flooding markets, undermining local farmers

• Poor storage and supply chains causing food waste

•  Trade policies favoring imports over domestic production

•  Lack of processing industries to turn raw produce into finished goods

 For example:

• West Africa imports over $5 billion worth of rice every year, despite growing its own grains

• Many countries rely heavily on imported wheat, even though they produce local cereals like millet and sorghum

The result?
Farmers struggle to compete, food sovereignty is compromised, and many African nations remain dependent on volatile global markets.

Quote for Thought

“Africa’s fields feed the world — but many Africans still wait at the market.”
— The Paradox of Plenty