Isaac Tongola, Executive Director of Fair Trade Africa, said that African farmers have achieved what once seemed impossible and have reshaped trade across the continent.
Tongola explained that Africa hosts networks comprising 700 agricultural organizations across 29 countries, representing more than 1.45 million farmers and workers.
He presented these figures in an article published on AllAfrica under the title “Africa: When Farmers Lead, Growth Happens.”
According to the article, this farmers’ network has reinvested more than €650 million of its collective funds into over 780 local projects — ranging from building clinics and schools, to installing irrigation systems to combat drought, and training members in regenerative farming — all in line with priorities farmers themselves set for their communities.
Future Challenges
Despite this progress, the article stressed that the coming years will require greater collective effort, as farmers will face climate shocks, new regulations, disruptive technologies, and volatile trade barriers that threaten their livelihoods.
According to FAO estimates, around 125 million people worldwide depend on coffee for their income.
Yet the sector faces significant challenges, particularly low prices: for example, Ethiopian coffee farmers receive only 17.8% of the price of raw coffee beans. For this reason, transparency in pricing is essential, the article argued.
The author also emphasized that empowering women is key to achieving fair trade. According to the UN Women Africa Report 2023, involving women can raise child nutrition and education rates by up to 35%, even though women own only 15% of agricultural land on the continent.
In line with the African Union’s Agenda 2063 on Climate Action, the continent is projected to face compounded climate shocks, including declining food production and losses of up to $50 billion by 2030.