African experts call for investment in bioeconomy

African policymakers and experts have called for greater coordination, investment and commercialization of the continent's biological resources to unlock the potential of the bioeconomy.

Speaking at the Africa Bioeconomy Workshop held in Nairobi on Tuesday and Wednesday, they said the bioeconomy could transform Africa's food systems while supporting sustainable construction materials, biochemicals, biopharmaceuticals and bio-packaging, as well as accelerating the transition to low-carbon, naturepositive economies.

Abdou Tenkouano, director general of the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, said the bioeconomy is becoming an important pathway to a greener future.

"Let us work together across government, the private sector, civil society, and academia to develop bioeconomy pathways that reflect our local aspirations while contributing to global goals on climate, biodiversity, and food security," he said.

Tenkouano said agriculture contributes between 23 and 35 percent of GDP in many sub-Saharan African countries and generates significant biomass, providing a key foundation for the bioeconomy.

"By adding value to this biomass, strengthening supply chains, and enabling distributed manufacturing, the bioeconomy can help diversify growth in a sustainable and inclusive way," he said.

Tenkouano called for greater support for innovation, entrepreneurship, value addition and agroand bioprocessing to create jobs and incomes, particularly through university-industry partnerships.

He also urged stronger regional cooperation on standards, financing, education, research and training, with greater youth participation.

Isata Kamanda, Sierra Leone's deputy minister of agriculture and food security, called for affordable financial instruments to help domestic agro-processors scale their innovations and develop competitive products for regional and international markets.

She said bioeconomy financing should reach local businesses, rather than being concentrated among research institutions and large companies.

Kamanda also called for shared regional infrastructure, particularly in West Africa, saying countries don't need to establish costly facilities such as genomic laboratories in every capital. "One can serve the region better," she said.

She emphasized the importance of food sovereignty, noting that disruptions to global trade can expose African countries to shortages because of their dependence on imports.

Sierra Leone, she said, is seeking to industrialize cassava production to produce flour that can substitute imported wheat in products such as bread and confectionery.

Building value chains

"The goal is not simply to increase agricultural production but to build value chains that retain more economic value domestically," she said.

Shaukat Abdulrazak, principal secretary in Kenya's State Department for Science, Research and Innovation, called for regional centers of excellence and greater collaboration among countries.

"We need to break the silos, build collaboration, build cooperation, and be able to have exchanges," he said, calling for greater mobility of students and researchers as well as stronger regional research networks.

Niall O'Connor, director of the Stockholm Environment Institute Africa Centre, said Africa must move beyond exporting raw biological resources and retain more value locally through processing and manufacturing to realize its bioeconomy potential.

He also called for a shift from isolated pilot projects to coordinated clusters that bring together producers, suppliers, researchers, processors and investors.

Abdulrazak also urged universities and research institutions to work more closely with industry and establish mechanisms for moving innovations from laboratories to the market.

Africa also needs to facilitate the movement of goods, services, capital and people across borders, he said, noting that the African Continental Free Trade Area provides an important framework for expanding the market for African innovations.