Africa’s agricultural research community is producing valuable innovations, but systemic failures in policy, finance, and infrastructure are preventing scientific advances from reaching farmers at scale, according to agricultural scientist and former Senegalese minister Papa Abdoulaye Seck. Drawing on four decades of experience, Seck challenges the perception that agricultural science is expensive and ineffective. The real problem, he contends, lies in fragmented ecosystems where seed systems, rural credit, extension services, and market organization are too weak to translate research into real-world impact. Seck cites Rwanda and Ethiopia as examples where coordinated investment accelerated the adoption of improved crop varieties. He also referenced Asia’s Green Revolution, arguing that it succeeded not because of science alone, but because governments built the surrounding infrastructure. Seck called for Africa to treat agricultural research as a strategic investment and strengthen alliances between scientists, policymakers, private investors, and farmers.
The Conversation
