African ministers of livestock and agriculture have taken bold steps to reshape the future of food systems on the continent. At the African Food Systems Forum in Dakar, Senegal, thirteen countries participated in the first-ever ministerial deep dive on livestock, co-hosted by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), AU-IBAR, and GIZ. The session marked a historic shift—placing livestock and animal-sourced foods firmly at the center of Africa’s food systems agenda.
Africa is home to 85% of the world’s livestock keepers but produces just 2.6% of global milk. This mismatch highlights a paradox: vast resources, yet low productivity, leaving the continent dependent on $50 billion worth of food imports annually. Ministers agreed this must change, not only to meet rising demand but also to secure livelihoods, reduce poverty, and address nutrition gaps. Demand for meat is projected to triple and milk to double by 2050, making transformation urgent and unavoidable.
Dr. Mabouba Diagne, Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources in Senegal, explained “We produce only 400 million liters of milk, compared to other countries like Kenya and Uganda which are producing more than 2 billion litres annually. We rely too much on imports and need to increase productivity to address this gap.”
Appolinaire Djikeng, Director General of ILRI highlighted “Solutions already exist in Africa, and we must scale working regionally, leveraging institutional expertise to bridge science, policy, and practice. We have solutions that are a triple win: meet the rising demand for livestock products, improve livelihoods and well-being for more than 200 million African livestock farmers, ensuring that this is done in a way that is environmentally sustainable”.
Youth employment was at the heart of the discussions. Across the continent, young farmers are already using digital ear tags for traceability, building poultry businesses, and managing forage enterprises. Ministers emphasized the need to transform livestock from subsistence to a business proposition that attracts the youth and creates viable careers for Africa’s 53 million unemployed youth. In Tanzania for example, the country has trained 235,000 young livestock entrepreneurs—150,000 of whom now run their own enterprises.
Productivity gaps remain stark. Uganda produces 3.4 billion liters of milk annually compared to Senegal’s 400 million—largely due to differences in cattle genetics. Ministers committed to scaling up genetic improvement programs to deliver higher-yield breeds. For farmers, the impact is immediate and tangible: when a cow produces 8 liters of milk instead of 2, it means school fees are paid, nutrition improves, and incomes increase for rural households. Genetic gains were identified as a priority pathway to boost farmer incomes within two to three years.
The dialogue highlighted the need to stop treating livestock as separate from agriculture. Mali called for stronger crop-livestock-fisheries integration, recognizing that African farmers often manage multiple systems simultaneously. Somalia showcased its model of vaccinating 20 million animals while empowering women in value chains. Tanzania shared digital systems enabling real-time monitoring for herders. Each example pointed toward common themes: integrated, resilient, and locally adapted approaches are the future.
Ministers concluded with a set of commitments aimed at bridging the gap between Africa’s current livestock efficiency levels (10–20 per cent of current global standards) and its potential:
- Establishing feed banks to reduce seasonal feed shortages
- Regional cooperation to overcome fragmented markets
- Scaling youth entrepreneurship to drive local production
- Expanding genetic improvement programs to raise productivity
- Annual livestock ministerial sessions at Africa Food Systems Forum to ensure accountability
For Africa’s farmers, these commitments mean practical solutions that can be shared and scaled faster across borders.
Dr. Huyam Salih, Director of the AU-IBAR said “Africa cannot achieve sustainable food security and agricultural transformation without placing livestock at the center of our development agenda. For millions of farmers, this is not abstract policy, it is the difference between poverty and prosperity, between subsistence and thriving agribusiness.”