Multinational capital is flowing into African agrifood systems in ways that are
dramatically altering how food is produced and consumed in the region. While
multinational investments in African food systems are not new, shifts in the
political, economic and demographic landscape of the region have expanded
the scope and scale of these investments. Over the last decade or so, much of
sub-Saharan Africa has witnessed rapid urbanisation, sustained GDP growth,
single-digit inflation and the emergence of an African middle class (Chikweche and
Fletcher, 2014; Fine et al., 2012; Losch, 2012; Ncube, Lufumpa and Vencatachellum,
2011). These domestic transformations are taking place within a global context
of increasing uncertainty over global grain supplies and prices (Dewbre, Giner,
Thompson and Von Lampe, 2008). The interactions between these domestic,
regional and global factors have created incentives for multinational investment
throughout African agrifood systems, from food production to retailing.