Investing in small-scale agriculture and local food systems is one of the most impactful ways of tackling malnutrition and food insecurity, bringing lasting benefits to national economies. This is the message Alvaro Lario,  President of the UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), will take to the Nutrition for Growth (N4G) Summit that will bring global leaders and the world’s nutrition experts together in Paris on 27-28 March 2025.

“Smallholder farms are the roots that sustain global nutrition. Investing so they thrive is not just about feeding people today – it’s also about long-lasting solutions that build resilient and equitable food chains that can feed the world for generations to come,” said Lario in advance of the summit.

At the Summit, Lario will emphasize that combating malnutrition requires more than just increasing agricultural productivity – especially in regions like sub-Saharan Africa, where yields remain low. It also means supporting the production of a wider variety of local, nutritious, and climate-resilient foods. Of the planet’s 5,000 food plant species, people mostly eat only nine, of which just three – rice, wheat and maize – provide 50 per cent of all calories. Hundreds of local and neglected foods exist which are nutritious and resilient to local climate conditions. They include for example, millet, sorghum, several types of beans, fruits, and vegetables.

The successful implementation of the AfCFTA calls for urgent action to drive reforms at all levels of government, according to the ECA’s Economic Report on Africa (ERA) launched during the Conference of Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development – COM 2025.

The report calls for targeted industrial policies, investment in productive capacity, and support for SMEs. This will help Africa to develop robust value chains in key sectors such as agro-processing, automotive, pharmaceuticals and renewable energy.

Governments must also streamline customs procedures and adopt digital technologies, such as blockchain and electronic data processing, to reduce trade costs and improve efficiency.

This underlines the need for increased investments in digital infrastructure such as broadband networks, data centres, and internet exchange points.

Advancing the free movement of people, goods and capital across borders will be supported by initiatives like the Single African Air Transport Market and the Pan-African Payments and Settlement System.

Investing in sustainable urban development to manage the challenges of rapid urbanization is another strategic imperative for policymakers.

In her presentation on the report, Hanan Morsy, ECA Deputy Executive Secretary and Chief Economist, challenged leaders to think critically about the AfCFTA’s social dimensions.

The Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, has concluded a historic two-day visit to Somalia, his first official visit to the country since taking office.

During his visit, the Chairperson made an urgent appeal to the international community, highlighting critical funding shortfalls for the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) and called for renewed commitment to the country’s peace and stabilization efforts.

In a joint press briefing with Somalia’s President, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, at Villa Somalia, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf pledged to engage with Somalia’s international partners and emphasized the importance of sustained support.

“I have already started in Addis Ababa to speak to some of our partners so that Somalia is not abandoned. Somalia remains the centre of interest of the international community,” he said.

He added that the African Union peace mission in Somalia is in a transition period. “I want to underline here that these challenges can be overcome but we need commitment, we need engagement, and we need the support of the international community”.

The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), in collaboration with the African Union Commission (AUC), is organizing a regional workshop in Mombasa, Kenya from 26 to 27 March 2025 to review and validate a consolidated report on enhancing free movement of persons, labour mobility, and skills portability in Africa.

The event forms part of a joint ECA-AUC project aimed at promoting regular migration pathways across the continent and addressing institutional and policy barriers that limit labour mobility.

Focused on Ghana, Kenya, and Zambia, the report distills findings from national studies and stakeholder consultations, with practical recommendations for advancing implementation of the AU Protocol on Free Movement of Persons and aligning it with the goals of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Participants will include government officials, migration experts, civil society representatives, regional bodies, and international partners. The two-day workshop will also serve as a platform for exchanging experiences and strengthening momentum toward the ratification and operationalization of the Free Movement Protocol.