AGRA President to Africa: The Future of Farming Won’t Be Donor-Funded—It Will Be Investor-Driven

Alice Ruhweza, the dynamic new President of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), is not your typical development bureaucrat. She speaks in bold terms—systems, scale, strategy—but her message is piercingly clear: “The future of African agriculture will not be bankrolled by donors. It will be driven by investors.”

In a spirited interview in Nairobi on Friday, Ruhweza delivered a wake-up call to African governments and entrepreneurs: agriculture is Africa’s next big investment frontier. And the clock is ticking.

“For 20 years, we’ve been urging governments to meet the 10% public investment pledge in agriculture,” she said, referencing the Maputo and Malabo Declarations. “But the money just isn’t there. Many are drowning in debt, spending nearly half of their GDP on repayments.”

As traditional aid dries up—USAID has scaled back and others are following suit—AGRA is pivoting. Ruhweza is turning the spotlight on private capital, “There’s still money out there. What’s missing is a compelling investment case.”

And AGRA is stepping in to fill that gap. “We’ve spent two decades testing models that work,” Ruhweza said. “We know that if yields hit three metric tons per hectare, the business case is strong. Now we must speak the language of investors: ROI, scale, and resilience.”

In countries like Malawi—where agriculture is the backbone of the economy and 60% of the population is under 25—her message lands with particular urgency. “This isn’t just about maize. It’s about processing. It’s about trade. It’s about industries that create value, not just calories.”

Ruhweza urged governments to strengthen the capacity of banks, financial institutions, and agri-entrepreneurs to attract and deploy private capital. “We must move from subsidies to sustainability. From donor dependency to deal-making.”

She pointed to Mastercard’s recent multi-million-dollar investment in African agriculture—not as aid, but as business.“They’re not here for charity. They see jobs, growth, and market potential. That’s the shift we need.”

From youth-led agri-tech startups to horticulture ventures and untapped export markets, Ruhweza sees a landscape rich with opportunity—if policy makers clear the path.

For farmers, it all boils down to one truth: no market, no motivation. “You can have the best seed and science, but if the farmer doesn’t see a buyer, she won’t plant. That’s why we must build strong, reliable market systems—and that’s where private capital must come in.”

And investment must be inclusive. Women form the backbone of farming. Youth are the future. And climate resilience must be non-negotiable. “We can’t design 21st-century food systems if we’re still excluding the people doing the actual work.”

For Malawi’s leaders, Ruhweza offers both a challenge and a roadmap: “Stop waiting for aid. Start unlocking investment. Build policies that support agribusiness—from rural banks and export incentives to infrastructure.”

Because, she insists, this is not a poverty story. It’s a prosperity play.

AGRA under Ruhweza is not just backing farmers—it’s building a continent-wide ecosystem of change-makers. “We’re country-led. We’re impact-led. And we’re people-focused,” she said.

But at the center of it all is capital—smart, strategic, risk-tolerant capital—that sees African agriculture not as a problem, but as a portfolio with promise. “Africa is the youngest continent on Earth. Agriculture is its largest employer. The opportunity is staggering—if we’re bold enough to seize it.”

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