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As climate shocks intensify across Africa, scientists and policymakers are warning that food insecurity on the continent is no longer just a production problem; it is a systems failure.

That was the central message emerging from a morning briefing convened by the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, which brought together private sector actors, researchers, government officials, and development partners to examine how climate change, food loss, and weak market linkages are undermining food security.

During his presentation, Gert-Jan Stads, Senior Manager, Partnerships Alliance, would remark that it’s evident how climate shocks, environmental degradation, and market volatility are already affecting food availability and prices.

A message that Dr. Wanjiru Kamau-Rutenberg, Managing Director for Africa at the Alliance, echoes, pointing out that in this context, business as usual is not an option.

Data shared during the meeting showed that 30–40 percent of food produced in Kenya is lost before it reaches consumers, with fruits and vegetables, critical for nutrition, experiencing losses of up to 36 percent.

According to Dr. Rosina Wanyama, a scientist at CIAT, that loss has direct climate consequences. Food discarded at markets and farms ends up in landfills, producing greenhouse gas emissions while natural resources such as water, land, and energy are wasted.

“We are producing food under increasing climate stress, yet a large share never reaches the people who need it,” Wanyama said. “That is inefficient, costly, and environmentally damaging.”

The impacts are already being felt. Nearly one in four Kenyans remains food insecure, even as climate variability disrupts production and urban populations continue to grow, placing pressure on already fragile food markets.

Speakers emphasized that climate change is exposing structural weaknesses in Africa’s agri-food systems, particularly the limited attention given to what happens after food leaves the farm.

Global figures presented at the briefing showed that most value in modern food systems is generated in post-farm activities such as processing, logistics, storage, and retail. These downstream actors increasingly determine what farmers grow, the quality standards they must meet, and whether innovations reach scale.

Food Loss, Climate Risks, and Shifting Global R&D

At the same time, the private sector now accounts for nearly half of global food and agriculture research and development investment, while sub-Saharan Africa receives only a small share of that funding.

According to Dr. Phil Pardey, a professor at the University of Minnesota and a lead architect of the Agri-Food Innovation Intelligence (AFII), this imbalance has serious implications for climate resilience.

“We tend to focus agricultural research on what happens on the farm,” Pardey said, “but we often miss the broader value-chain context in which farms are operating.”

Pardey noted that most value in modern agri-food systems is created after food leaves the farm, making downstream actors critical to reducing food loss, managing climate risk, and scaling innovation.

“We have very scarce resources,” he said. “We have to be extremely careful about how we use them to maximize impact.”

Wanyama added that without stronger linkages between research, markets, and finance, climate risk is being pushed onto farmers.

“If research is not linked to markets and finance, farmers are left carrying climate risk on their own,” she said.

Scientists at the briefing also stressed that climate adaptation must begin with soil health and sustainable production systems.

“Soil degradation and climate stress directly affect food quality, yields, and incomes,” said Dr. Boaz Waswa, a soil scientist with the Alliance. “If we don’t address those, supply chains become unreliable.”

Waswa highlighted growing demand for food produced with fewer chemical inputs and stronger environmental safeguards, trends that are increasingly shaping markets.

“Climate-smart and regenerative practices are not just good for the environment,” he said. “They reduce risk for farmers and create a more stable supply for businesses.”

Researchers also presented new tools using geo-spatial data, artificial intelligence, and digital advisories to deliver localized climate and soil information to farmers, including those without smartphones. Through improved forecasting and more precise input use, the tools aim to reduce losses, stabilize yields, and lower emissions.

AFII: A Tool for Climate-Smart Partnerships

In response to these challenges, the Alliance and CIAT are developing the Agri-Food Innovation Intelligence (AFII), a digital tool designed to map private sector actors across food value chains and support evidence-based partnerships.

AFII allows researchers, companies, and investors to identify potential collaborators based on geography, technology, and value-chain role, an approach organizers say is essential for scaling climate-smart solutions.

“Too often we have climate-relevant innovations that never leave the lab,” Gert-Jan Stads, Lead AFII on the Alliance side, emphasized. “AFII is going to make a difference in matchmaking as it is about making sure research connects with the actors who can take it to scale.”

Pardey described AFII as a strategic decision-making tool rather than an operational one. “This is not about day-to-day decisions,” he said. “It’s about helping institutions make better strategic choices for the medium and long term.”

Early prototypes of the tool focus on Kenya, Ethiopia, and Bangladesh, covering thousands of firms in seeds, food processing, logistics, and biotechnology. The long-term aim is to support climate-resilient investment decisions across Africa and beyond.

As climate change accelerates, participants warned that Africa cannot afford fragmented approaches to food security.

“We cannot talk about climate resilience without fixing how food moves through the system,” Kamau-Rutenberg said. “It is unacceptable that food is wasted while children go hungry.”

She added that the continent’s ability to feed itself will determine its long-term stability.

“Food security is foundational,” she said. “Until we get that right, climate resilience, economic growth, and independence remain at risk.”

The briefing concluded with a call for faster, more intentional collaboration across science, markets, and finance, not only to reduce emissions and waste, but to ensure that climate-stressed production systems can still deliver for Africa’s growing population.