African Farmers Demand Affordable Finance as Governments Fall Short on Funding

Rwandan President Paul Kagame speaking to the youth during the Africa Food Systems Forum at Kigali Convention Centre. Credit: Farai Shawn Matiashe/IPSby Farai Shawn Matiashe (kigali)Wednesday, September 16, 2026Inter Press Service KIGALI, September 16 (IPS) - Agriculture remains underfunded in Africa as governments struggle to deliver on decades-old promises to dedicate 10% of national income to agriculture. But for many farmers, mobilising finance is only half the battle. Reaching smallholder farmers in the last mile with the little available finance remains a challenge. Some of the funding is heavily politicised, less affordable and inaccessible to many farmers.At the Africa Food Systems Forum in Kigali, Rwanda, from 31 August to 4 September, farmers are calling for cheaper and more accessible grants and loans, removal of bureaucracy, and more funding from both public and private sectors.The Forum comes after the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) that just came into force and the Kampala Declaration, a legal commitment by African leaders to fund it by mobilising $100bn in public and private finance, including committing 10% of national income to agric...