The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), have convened the Regional Consultation on Opportunity Crops in Africa, Accra.
The consultation brings together policymakers, researchers, development partners, private-sector actors, civil society, farmer organisations and regional institutions to advance the integration of neglected and underutilised crop species into Africa’s food systems.
These crops, increasingly referred to as opportunity crops, include millets, sorghum landraces, fonio, bambara groundnut, indigenous vegetables and other traditional crops that are deeply rooted in African food cultures but remain under-researched, under-invested and insufficiently represented in formal food, seed, research and market systems.
The conference comes at a critical moment for Africa’s agrifood systems. The continent continues to face interlinked challenges, including hunger, malnutrition, climate change, biodiversity loss, rapid urbanisation and growing dependence on imported foods.
According to the conference concept note, roughly one in five people in Africa faced hunger in 2024, while more than one billion people on the continent could not afford a healthy diet. At the same time, Africa’s rich plant genetic diversity, which underpins food security, nutrition, livelihoods and cultural heritage, is under increasing threat.
Opportunity crops offer practical pathways for addressing these challenges. Many are nutrient-dense, locally adapted, resilient to climate shocks, suitable for smallholder systems and capable of contributing to diversified diets, local economies and climate-resilient agriculture.
However, their potential has been constrained by limited research investment, weak seed systems, fragmented value chains, low consumer awareness, inadequate market development and insufficient policy support.
Speaking ahead of the consultation, both organizing agencies underscored that opportunity crops should be repositioned as strategic assets for Africa’s food systems transformation, given their contribution to biodiversity, nutrition, resilience and cultural identity.
The consultation will also contribute to continental policy momentum following the Kampala Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme Declaration, which calls on African Union Member States to increase the production and consumption of nutritious traditional and indigenous crops through appropriate policy, regulatory and financing mechanisms.
Over the three days, participants will review national and regional experiences with opportunity crops, discuss policy and institutional frameworks, examine approaches to conservation and sustainable use, and identify pathways to strengthen production, seed systems, value chains, research, capacity development, awareness-raising and market integration.
The programme will feature technical sessions on overcoming barriers to opportunity crops, strengthening knowledge and capacity, advancing regional action, promoting on-farm diversity and local adaptation, conserving crop genetic resources, improving breeding and pre-breeding systems, developing seed systems, and building the business case for opportunity crops.
The consultation will culminate in working-group discussions to develop an action-oriented regional roadmap to integrate opportunity crops into Africa’s agrifood systems.
The consultation will include contributions from regional and continental institutions, including the African Union Commission, AUDA-NEPAD, CORAF, ASARECA, CCARDECA, CGIAR, centres, Crop Trust, universities, farmer organisations, private sector actors, and other partners working to advance agricultural biodiversity and resilient food systems across Africa.
The event is expected to foster a shared understanding of the opportunities, gaps and priorities for mainstreaming opportunity crops in Africa, while strengthening partnerships among governments, research institutions, farmers, private-sector actors and civil society.
A key outcome will be a regional roadmap and collaborative action plan to guide future investments, policy reforms and coordinated implementation.
The consultation will be held in a hybrid format with interpretation in English and French, enabling wider participation across Africa and beyond.
