Civil society coalition calls for community-led agriculture, warns against factory farming
Civil Society Coalition Urges African Development Bank to Prioritize Sustainable Agriculture
A coalition of civil society organizations is calling on the African Development Bank Group to shift its focus from financing industrial livestock models to supporting agroecological and climate-resilient farming methods. This appeal emphasizes the need for investments that benefit smallholder farmers, pastoralists, women producers, and indigenous and local communities.
The request comes as leaders convene in the Republic of Congo for the 2026 African Development Bank Annual Meetings. In a statement released Thursday, the coalition, known as the Stop Financing Factory Farming Coalition, highlighted the critical importance of transparency and accountability in the financial decisions that shape Africa’s food systems.
The African Development Bank’s flagship Feed Africa Strategy estimates that transforming agriculture across the continent will require between $315 billion and $400 billion over the next decade. The bank has committed $24 billion to stimulate further public and private investment through large-scale value chain development and agro-industrialization.
However, the coalition expressed concern that, without adequate safeguards and community involvement, this funding could perpetuate unsustainable food systems. These models, they argue, lead to detrimental impacts on land, water, biodiversity, and rural livelihoods across Africa.
The coalition’s statement noted, “As leaders gather in Brazzaville for the African Development Bank Annual Meetings 2026, civil society organizations are urging for enhanced transparency and accountability regarding the direction of development finance.” They addressed the growing urgency of issues such as climate challenges, water shortages, debt pressures, biodiversity loss, and food insecurity.
“You should consider not only the volume of finance mobilized but also the types of food systems that financing intends to support,” the statement continued.
The coalition advocates for the African Development Bank to halt investments in industrial livestock production that contribute to environmental damage and to instead prioritize sustainable practices. Additionally, they called for improvements in transparency surrounding agricultural lending and investments in value chains.
Opeyemi Elujulo, Campaign Coordinator for the Stop Financing Factory Farming Coalition, emphasized that their goal is to promote equitable, climate-resilient, and community-led food systems. He noted that the forthcoming decisions at the meetings will significantly impact whether Africa’s food future emphasizes resilient local systems or increasingly concentrated industrial practices that exacerbate environmental and economic vulnerabilities.
