The President of the Russian Fertilizer Producers Association (RFPA), Andrey Guryev, spoke at a panel session of the Russia–Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum titled “Russia and Africa: Partnership for Food Sovereignty”, which took place with RFPA support.

Other speakers included Andrei Fursenko, Aide to the President of the Russian Federation; Benedict Okey Oramah, President of Afreximbank; Mario A. Caetano Joao, Minister of Economy and Planning of Angola; Sanctus Niragira, Minister of Environment, Agriculture, and Livestock of Burundi, Roman Busargin, Governor of the Saratov region; Boris Listov, Chairman of the Management Board of Russian Agricultural Bank; Konstantin Babkin President of the Rosspetsmash Association and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Rostselmash;  and Oleg Shenderyuk, Director of Yakov and Partners.

“Africa is the most food-insecure region in the world. Some 278 million people in Africa suffer from chronic hunger, which amounts to 20% of the continent’s population. If the current trend of food imports, which today is measured at a staggering USD 55 billion, continues, it will double by 2030. There is no miracle to wait for; in an environment of sanctions wars, disruptions in logistics and production chains, the wheel of food inflation on the planet will keep gaining momentum,” emphasised the discussion’s moderator, Russian Ambassador-at-Large Oleg Ozerov.

Speaking about the reasons for the food crisis, Mr Fursenko highlighted the complexity and multifaceted nature of the problem. “There are both objective factors – climate change, population growth – and subjective factors, such as sanctions and trade wars. However, there is reason for optimism, as Russia has already set a successful example. In a short historical period, Russia transformed from a country dependent on food imports into one of the world’s largest food exporters.

“For African countries to learn from and replicate our experience, we must provide them with fertilizers, new climate-resistant grain varieties, new technologies and qualified personnel. Russia is prepared not only to lend support but also to become a partner in all these areas. I am absolutely confident that in the medium term, Africa will not only achieve food self-sufficiency but will also begin to supply food to global markets,” stated the Aide to the President.

The President of the Russian Fertilizer Producers Association, Mr Guryev emphasised the need to increase supplies and effectively apply mineral fertilizers in African countries to combat hunger and achieve food sovereignty. In this regard, he expressed the intention of Russian fertilizer producers to expand their presence in African markets.

“Russia is the world’s largest exporter of mineral fertilizers. We have achieved this result over the course of ten years, investing approximately RUB 1.8 trillion in the industry. By expanding production capacity, we have focused on both our priority domestic market and the growing demand from agricultural countries, including those in Africa. The agricultural potential of African states is enormous, yet around 60% of fertile land on the continent remains unused.”

Meanwhile, the world’s population is growing rapidly: by 2050, it will increase by 2 billion, reaching 9.8 billion people. Half of this population growth – 1 billion people – will occur in Africa. To feed such a large number of people, food production needs to increase by 60%. If Africa does not achieve such growth and food sovereignty, it could lead to a colossal humanitarian catastrophe on a global scale. However, we are confident that a sharp increase in agricultural production on the continent is possible through the efficient use of mineral fertilizers. Russia is ready to provide the African continent with all types of mineral fertilizers, including innovative and environmentally preferable products, fertilizers with bio-additives,” said Mr Guryev.

The head of the emphasised that progressive work has been carried out over the past five years to increase supplies. During this period, Russia has more than doubled its deliveries of mineral fertilizers to African countries, reaching 1.6 million tonnes in 2022. According to Mr Guryev, Russian producers of mineral fertilizers are prepared to double deliveries to African countries in the next five years.

“For further growth of Russian fertilizer exports to Africa, several challenges need to be addressed. First and foremost, this includes the need to expand port and railway infrastructure, establish inland deliveries, and set up processing and packaging facilities. Launching educational programmes for farmers and ensuring the availability of qualified personnel are key factors in the development of agriculture. Russia possesses expertise in all these areas, and we will share it with our African partners,” concluded the President of the RFPA.

The President of Afreximbank, Mr Oramah, confirmed the readiness of African countries to collaborate with Russia in creating a modern and sustainable agricultural sector. He stated, “We can cooperate in infrastructure development, supplying seeds and equipment for the establishment of high-productivity commercial farms. To ensure that seeds yield sufficient crops to meet the needs of the continent’s growing population, we require mineral fertilizers. The exchange of expertise and knowledge with Russia is also crucial.”

According to the Minister of Environment, Agriculture, and Livestock of Burundi, Mr Niragira, improving local farmers’ access to mineral fertilizers is one of the main issues in the development of the country’s agricultural sector. He said, “Agriculture and livestock are the main sectors of our economy. Their intensification will not only preserve food sovereignty but also increase production and enable us to export products abroad. Therefore, we highly anticipate strengthening cooperation with Russia and Russian companies in this field. Ensuring farmers’ access to mineral fertilizers is our top priority. We place great hope in collaborating with Russia to overcome difficulties in fertilizer access.”

For Angola, reducing dependence on food imports and increasing agricultural productivity has become the primary driver of economic diversification, according to the Minister of Economy and Planning, Mr Caetano Joao. He stated, “Agricultural development now leads the way in the new economic paradigm. Thus, we are highly interested in working together with Russian companies to enhance productivity and efficiency in farming.”

The importance of Russian–African cooperation at the regional level was emphasised by the Governor of the Saratov region, Mr Busargin. He noted that agriculture is a strategic and promising area for collaboration between the Saratov region and African countries: “Major exporters from Saratov are ready to expand their markets and supply their products to African countries. We are interested in strengthening mutually beneficial cooperation. Currently, trade and economic ties are successfully developing, particularly with Egypt, South Africa, Ethiopia, Libya and Tanzania. We are eager to increase the number of partner countries and are prepared to share our experience with your specialists and business representatives,” said the governor.

According to him, one of the advantages of the Saratov region, especially from a logistics perspective, is the uninterrupted operation of PhosAgro’s Balakovo production facility.

The Chairman of the Board of Russian Agricultural Bank, Mr Listov, expressed interest in mutually beneficial cooperation on an equal footing aimed at bolstering food security in Russia and Africa, including an exchange of experiences in respect of arranging systematic lending for the agricultural sector and additional non-financial support for small farms. “Seventy per cent of the population in sub-Saharan Africa is engaged in small-scale peasant farming, and the majority of them face serious issues related, first and foremost, to the continent’s climate. These include a lack of irrigation infrastructure, insufficient fertilizer usage, and inadequate transport and logistics infrastructure. In these circumstances, assistance to farmers should be comprehensive, coming from both the state and various business structures. An agricultural bank could be such a structure,” he noted.

Russian manufacturers of agricultural machinery have observed growing demand from African customers amid an increase in local agriculture and are focused on long-term cooperation, said Mr Babkin, the President of the Rosspetsmash Association and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Rostselmash. He commented, “We look at the prospects of cooperation between the Russian agricultural machinery industry and African farmers with great optimism. This market has doubled over the past four years. The African population is growing rapidly, and agricultural machinery production is also developing significantly. The Russian agricultural machinery industry has demonstrated its resilience to external pressures and its commitment to expanding fair and mutually beneficial cooperation with friendly African countries.”

According to Mr Shenderyuk, Director of Yakov and Partners, Russia has a unique advantage that makes it attractive to African partners: the presence of experience in all areas of agribusiness. “Russia is the only country that operates throughout the entire value chain. We have grain, fertilizers, machinery and technology. Additionally, both Africa and Russia possess not only resources but also unique human capital. We do not want to follow someone else; we want to make a joint leap towards new sovereignty,” said Mr Shenderyuk.