If agriculture in Eastern and Central Africa remains in its current state, not a single nation in the region will achieve the Millennium Development Goal of halving poverty by 2015. In the hopes of averting such a dismal outcome, this report analyzes agricultural development priorities and investment patterns in the region and their impact on growth and poverty rates, seeking an improved agricultural strategy. Using the Dynamic Research Evaluation for Management (DREAM) model and other tools to evaluate opportunities for increasing both agricultural and overall economic growth, the authors offer alternatives to the status quo. They propose approaches such as tailoring agricultural production to demand within Eastern and Central Africa, encouraging a wide variety of agricultural production to match the diversity of national demands and capacities, and promoting regional cooperation in agricultural development. Their analysis and conclusions should interest specialists in agricultural policy and investments, particularly those concerned with the impact of both on poverty reduction.

The Crop Sector Development Strategy for Eastern Africa 2021 - 2026 defines a series of goals and interventions agreed by representatives of the Ministries of Agriculture from the countries within the jurisdiction of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Subregional Office for Eastern Africa, as well as inputs from FAO representatives in the member countries, the East African Community Secretariat, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development Secretariat, the Desert Locust Control Organization for Eastern Africa and the CGIAR centres. The Strategy presents a holistic approach to improving crop production and productivity through a unified approach. This should be seen as a starting point for programmes and initiatives aimed at growing crops better, bridging yield gaps, feeding people with more nutritious food and enabling farmers to practice agriculture as a business so that they are better positioned to support their families. The higher aim of the Strategy is to contribute to the realization of the goals of the African Union, as enshrined in the Malabo Commitments to end hunger through accelerating agricultural growth by at least doubling agricultural productivity levels and halving levels of post-harvest losses. FAO is committed to achieving the overall goal of ending hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition in the world through better rural livelihoods, improved agricultural productivity as well as through the contribution to the sustainable growth of national and regional economies. This Strategy serves as another critical element in the repertoire of tools at our disposal to ensure no one is left behind.