NAIROBI - African governments must increase public investment in agriculture to strengthen food security and unlock sustainable economic growth, officials said Tuesday at a high-level summit in Kenya's capital, Nairobi.

Held under the theme "Taking Ownership: Rethinking Sustainable Financing for Africa's Food Systems", the Financing Agri-food Systems Sustainably Summit 2025 brought together policymakers and sector stakeholders to explore financing solutions for transforming food systems across the continent.

At the three-day forum, delegates said that although agriculture employs over 60 percent of the continent's population, it continues to receive disproportionately low investment.

Mutahi Kagwe, Kenya's cabinet secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, said the sector receives just three percent of the national budget despite contributing 22.5 percent to the country's gross domestic product.

"By raising the budgetary allocation to 10 percent, we shall not only be adequately investing in the sector, but also meeting the requirements of the 2014 Malabo Declaration on the Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Program (CAADP) and the Kampala CAADP Declaration of January 2025," Kagwe said.

Such a move could increase productivity by 45 percent, eliminate post-harvest losses, and triple intra-African agri-trade by 2035, Kagwe added.

Veronica Nduva, secretary general of the East African Community, said the region is working to modernize agriculture into climate-resilient, value-driven systems. She stressed the need for investment in infrastructure, technology, research, and inclusive financial access, especially for smallholder farmers.

Moses Vilakati, commissioner for agriculture, rural development, blue economy and sustainable environment at the African Union, said via video link that the continent has committed to mobilize 100 billion US dollars by 2035 for food system transformation.

He urged the adoption of innovative financing tools that de-risk agri-investments and empower smallholders, especially women and youth, who form the backbone of food systems.