Webinar: Renewable Energy in African Agriculture

Power for All in collaboration with the Malabo Montpellier Panel will host a webinar on the theme: Why increasing the role of renewable energy mini-grids is essential to transforming agricultural productivity and food security in Africa. The webinar will explore opportunities for synergy between mini-grids and the agricultural value chain in Sub-Saharan Africa.

UN FAO estimates that 58.8% of the total sub-Saharan workforce is in agriculture with 63.6% of the population being in rural areas. In a sector that directly employs about 175 million people in Africa, smallholder agriculture is particularly important for women, as around 70% of smallholders are female. Yet the potential for the continent to be an agricultural giant is stifled to a significant degree by the persistent lack of electricity access.

Linking decentralized renewables energy (DRE) and agriculture can provide mutually beneficial outcomes across the energy-food nexus. In particular, renewable energy-powered technologies ranging from cold storage to solar pumps can accelerate agricultural growth and reduce food waste. The Malabo Montpellier Panel 2019 report, ‘Energized: Policy innovations to power the transformation of Africa’s agriculture and food system’ highlights the promising energy-related strategies, policies, and technologies emerging across Africa’s agricultural value chain.

Location: Virtual

Date: Tuesday, March 31, 2020