Feed the Future Accelerator

Smallholder farms across Africa grow over two-thirds of the region’s food. But extreme weather has decimated crops, while yields are declining due to outdated seeds, inefficient practices, and less predictable rainfall patterns — all of which are leaving farmers with less to sell and less to eat. Investing in agriculture is up to four times more effective at fighting poverty in low-income countries than investing in other sectors. As such, the United States is seizing on a unique window of opportunity to increase our investments in Southern and Eastern Africa, a region of endemic hunger hotspots yet great potential to drive agricultural growth.

We are doubling down on Feed the Future’s key mandate to build a more resilient global food system through the Feed the Future Accelerator, an effort to deepen our partnership with countries in the region while driving long-term gains in poverty, malnutrition, and hunger reduction. Through a rigorous analysis, USAID identified a subset of Feed the Future focus countries — Malawi, Tanzania, and Zambia — to pilot the Accelerator effort. These countries are poised to drive agricultural growth and create opportunities that not only meet their domestic needs, but help neighboring countries stabilize their food security, strengthen markets and build system-wide resilience.

While the United States is committing additional investment in Malawi, Tanzania, and Zambia, we cannot do it alone. To help these countries leverage trends for growth and unlock their full potential, we are working with host governments, other donors, and private sector businesses to increase agriculture and food system investments, support policy reforms, and strengthen market and commercial linkages to boost regional food trade. By increasing our investments in the region, together with our partners, we will help drive inclusive, agriculture-led growth that supports a new regional breadbasket — creating a source of food closer to the people who need it the most.