KAMPALA — Africa, long known for its rich and diverse agricultural heritage, is facing a silent but devastating crisis the rapid disappearance of its crop diversity. The Third Report on the State of the World’s Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (PGRFA) has sounded the alarm, revealing that the continent’s genetic wealth the cornerstone of food security, climate resilience, and cultural identity is vanishing at an alarming rate.
More than 70% of Africa’s crop wild relatives and wild food plants are now threatened twice the global average. Traditional landraces and farmers’ varieties, passed down through generations, are disappearing faster than ever before. In sub-Saharan Africa, about 16% of 12,000 inventoried crop varieties are endangered, including staples such as rice, yam, sorghum, millet, and cotton.
Climate change is intensifying the crisis, with prolonged droughts responsible for 65% of seed emergencies across 20 African nations. As temperatures rise faster than the global average, the continent is losing the genetic diversity that once helped its crops adapt to heat, pests, and shifting weather patterns.
While Africa has made notable progress in conserving genetic resources with 56 gene banks safeguarding over 220,000 accessions from nearly 4,000 species the report highlights significant vulnerabilities. Only 10% of these collections are securely duplicated, meaning most genetic materials remain at risk of loss due to natural disasters or political instability. Wild relatives, critical for breeding climate-resilient crops, make up less than a quarter of stored collections.
African scientists are innovating through sustainable conservation and utilization programs, but progress remains uneven. Although 44% of stored germplasm accessions have been characterized a figure above the global average many breeding efforts still rely on traditional morphological traits, with limited integration of modern molecular tools that could unlock higher yields and better nutrition.
The report also warns of a severe capacity gap. Few African countries have national strategies for plant genetic resource management, and education systems are failing to train enough experts to replace retiring specialists. Nearly two-thirds of African countries lack dedicated secondary or tertiary-level programs in genetic conservation.
To safeguard its agricultural future, Africa must urgently strengthen gene banks, expand cryopreservation capacity, and develop modern strategies for conservation and sustainable use. Investment in human capital from plant breeders to conservation scientists is equally critical.
Africa’s plant genetic diversity is more than a scientific resource; it is the foundation of the continent’s food sovereignty and resilience. Without decisive action, the seeds that once sustained civilizations could vanish forever taking with them the promise of a secure and sustainable food future.