Africa’s agricultural potential remains largely untapped, with post-harvest losses of key commodities exceeding 30% and continued reliance on imported processed foods. This deficit in local value addition undermines food security, erodes export revenue, and curbs job creation and industrialisation.
Urgent action is needed to bridge the gap between farm-level production and consumer markets. The development of integrated agro-industrial parks (AIPs) is widely recognised by the African Union (AU) and the African Development Bank (AfDB) as the critical catalyst for this transformation, designed to boost local processing, reduce waste, and capture more value within Africa.
The inaugural Agro-Industrial Parks Forum, organised by the African Agri Council, is a direct response to this challenge. The forum will be a central feature of the 2025 African Agri Investment Indaba, taking place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre from 24 to 26 November, serving as a dedicated platform for mobilising the investments and partnerships required to build these economic game-changers.
By co-locating processing facilities, storage, and logistics with agricultural production zones, AIPs are designed to tackle systemic inefficiencies head-on. By convening key players, from AfDB financiers and regulatory experts to global tech leaders like Bühler, the forum facilitates the essential knowledge-sharing and relationship-building that underpin the journey towards bankable, operational assets.
More than infrastructure: a catalyst for transformation
“An AIP is more than infrastructure; it is an ecosystem for economic transformation. It is where a farmer’s tomatoes become a bottled sauce for export; it is where grains are milled into fortified flour and where skilled jobs are created for our youth.
“[The Agro-Industrial Parks Forum] is the strategic nexus where we connect the vision of the AU and the AfDB with the capital and expertise of the private sector to build these hubs sustainably and at scale,” says Ben Leyka, CEO of the African Agri Council.
Investing in AIPs directly addresses core African challenges. By establishing processing and packaging facilities within the continent, these parks significantly reduce post-harvest losses, increase farmers’ incomes by creating reliable local markets, and enhance food security by ensuring a stable supply of nutritious, processed foods.
In addition, they position Africa to move up the global value chain from a raw material exporter to a supplier of value-added products, earning and saving critical foreign exchange.
Climbing the value chain: from raw materials to exports
The Agro-Industrial Parks Forum will provide a focused environment for deal-making, showcasing viable park projects and facilitating the partnerships essential for building the infrastructure that will define the future of African agribusiness.
Designed to convert strategy into tangible outcomes, the agenda moves from policy frameworks to practical solutions. It features sessions on AfDB financing models, climate-smart finance, and real-world innovations in artificial intelligence and storage technology from global leaders.
The Agro-Industrial Parks Forum is where the continent’s agro-industrial strategy is translated into tangible investment and development opportunities.
The forum will take place on the first day of the 2025 African Agri Investment Indaba in Cape Town.
For more information, visit agricouncil.org or agri-indaba.com.
