African Ministers Commit to Food Security and Economic Growth at First-Ever Ministerial Deep-Dive on Livestock

African ministers of livestock and agriculture have taken decisive steps to reshape the future of food and nutrition security on the continent. At the African Food Systems Forum in Dakar, 13 countries joined the first-ever ministerial deep dive on livestock, co-hosted by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), AU-IBAR, and GIZ. The landmark session placed livestock and animal-sourced foods firmly at the center of Africa’s food systems agenda.

Although Africa is home to 85 percent of the world’s livestock keepers, it produces just 2.6 percent of global milk. This paradox leaves the continent spending $50 billion on food imports annually. With demand for meat projected to triple and milk demand expected to double by 2050, ministers agreed that boosting productivity is urgent to secure livelihoods, reduce poverty, and close nutrition gaps.

Photo Credit: Harvey Presence

“We produce only 400 million liters of milk compared to over 2 billion liters in countries like Kenya and Uganda,” said Dr. Mabouba Diagne, Senegal’s Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources. “We rely too much on imports and must increase productivity to close this gap.”

ILRI Director General, Appolinaire Djikeng, stressed that solutions already exist within Africa. “We must scale what works regionally, bridging science, policy, and practice. This is a triple win: meeting demand for livestock products, improving farmer livelihoods, and ensuring environmental sustainability.”

Youth employment featured prominently in the discussions. With 53 million young people unemployed across Africa, ministers underscored the need to turn livestock into a business opportunity that can attract the next generation. Tanzania’s success was highlighted, where 235,000 young livestock entrepreneurs have been trained, and 150,000 now run their own enterprises.

Ministers also emphasized the importance of genetic improvement programs, pointing to Uganda’s 3.4 billion liters of milk produced annually compared to Senegal’s 400 million—a gap largely explained by cattle genetics. Higher-yield breeds can quickly boost farmer incomes, improve nutrition, and ease household expenses such as school fees.

The session showcased innovative models from across the continent: Mali’s push for stronger crop-livestock-fisheries integration, Somalia’s vaccination of 20 million animals while empowering women in value chains, and Tanzania’s digital tools enabling real-time monitoring for herders.

Ministers concluded with a set of commitments to unlock livestock’s potential:

• Establishing feed banks to reduce seasonal shortages

• Strengthening regional cooperation to overcome fragmented markets

• Scaling youth-led livestock enterprises

• Expanding genetic improvement programs

• Holding annual livestock ministerial sessions for accountability

“Africa cannot achieve sustainable food security without placing livestock at the heart of our agenda,” said Dr. Huyam Salih, Director of AU-IBAR. “For millions of farmers, this is the difference between poverty and prosperity, between subsistence and thriving agribusiness.”