New Agri-Energy Coalition launched to tackle food-energy gaps

The coalition launched at the 2025 Africa Food Systems Forum (AFSF) currently away in Dakar, Senegal.

To tackle critical challenges at the nexus of agriculture and energy in low- and middle-income countries, a new multi-stakeholder alliance has officially launched at the 2025 Africa Food Systems Forum (AFSF) currently away in Dakar, Senegal.

The Agri-Energy Coalition brings together leading organisations from the agriculture, energy and development sectors to deliver sustainable and scalable solutions to transform food systems through integrated energy access.

Global Off-Grid Lighting Association (GOGLA) stated that out of the over 600 million people lacking electricity in the continent, the majority of them reside in rural areas. 

“In these regions, agriculture is the backbone of local economies, yet the sector faces significant hurdles, including post-harvest losses, inefficient value chains and high costs of food production. 

“These challenges are largely driven by limited access to sustainable, reliable and affordable energy,” said Gogla.

Agri-Energy Coalition to promote integration across energy, agriculture, food systems, water and environmental sectors

The global association said the productive use of renewable energy (PURE) and decentralised renewable energy (DRE) solutions such as solar irrigation and cold storage offer a critical pathway to increasing yields, reducing food waste and improving livelihoods, but require coordinated efforts to increase uptake.

The Coalition’s activities include:

• Strengthen coordination among agri-energy actors, facilitate cross-sector partnerships, access to finance and knowledge exchange to bridge implementation gaps.
• Enhance policy advocacy through unified messaging and strategic presence at global and regional events.
• Promote integration across energy, agriculture, food systems, water and environmental sectors.
• Scale inclusive models that agri-food actors can adopt and document what works.

Carlos Sordo, Senior Project Manager of Productive Uses of Renewable Energy for GOGLA, said this coalition is a timely and essential platform to drive collaboration between agriculture and energy sectors, harmonise approaches and ensure the right strategies, policies and investments are in place.

“Our shared mission is to unlock low‑emission growth pathways, improve smallholder livelihoods and strengthen food security and nutrition by working towards a future where every step, from irrigation and processing to storage and transport—is powered by clean, affordable energy,” he said.

This initiative builds on the momentum created at the African Food Systems Forum in 2024, when like-minded institutions first met to align strategies and co-develop knowledge products. Since then, the Coalition has created shared positioning documents and promoted peer-to-peer learning across organisations and governments.

It brings together a diverse group of partners, including the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), the Energy Saving Trust, the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ).

Other key members include GOGLA, the IKEA Foundation, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and Partners in Food Solutions. The coalition is further strengthened by the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP), Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), the SNV Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV) and Wageningen University & Research.

Cover photo:   A Kenyan farmer in farmer in Kisumu in front of her solar-powered water pump Source: GOGLA