Africa's agro-processing sector is one of the continent's most compelling — and most underleveraged — investment opportunities. With the AfCFTA creating a unified market of 1.4 billion consumers and African governments increasingly prioritizing in-country value addition over raw commodity exports, the fundamentals for scaling regional agri-food value chains have never been stronger. Yet most agricultural production across the continent still leaves Africa as raw commodities, with processing profits, jobs, and industrial development captured elsewhere. 

Closing that gap is both a commercial opportunity and a strategic priority — and it is precisely where U.S.-Africa partnerships can deliver mutual value. American companies bring proven capabilities in agribusiness investment, food processing technology, cold chain logistics, mechanization, and retail distribution. African partners bring land, labor, growing domestic demand, and governments actively seeking the capital and expertise to build food systems that serve their populations and compete globally. 

This panel brings together agribusiness investors, processors, equipment manufacturers, and senior government officials to examine where and how these partnerships are being built. Panelists will explore the financing structures, offtake agreements, and public - private frameworks driving investment decisions — and identify the greatest near-term opportunities for U.S. companies to enter, scale, or co-invest in Africa's food and agriculture transformation.