Angola is on the path to becoming a global breadbasket, transforming its economy in the process.
Angola is rich in arable resources. 35 million hectares of fertile soil stretch across the country, crisscrossed by a network of freshwater rivers and bathed in abundant sunshine.
At present, these natural riches lie largely untapped. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations estimates that only 10% of that land is used for agriculture.
But Angola is on a mission to change that. Cultivating its vast acres of land is widely seen as the key to unlocking its economic potential.
In the process, the country intends to strengthen food security to its fullest, investing more in non-oil production and diversification, while improving the living conditions of all Angolans.
Fertile ground
Like many oil-producing countries, Angola is retooling its economy for a decarbonized and sustainable future.
The country’s resources make it ideally suited to becoming a major agrarian producer. As noted by Felsibela Francisco, President of the Board of Directors of the Agrarian Development Support Fund (FADA), which grants financing to cooperatives, micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), and small family-run farms, “these factors represent a basis for sector growth.”
Aside from its bountiful land, water, and sunshine, the country also has a large young workforce.
Nearly half of Angolans are aged between 15 and 35, representing a vast labor pool for working the soil, as well as fulfilling roles elsewhere along the agricultural value chain, such as in sales and distribution.
This demographic also gives an indication of demand. Angola’s population is growing rapidly against the backdrop of a destabilizing climate, making food security a top priority, as well as providing an enormous market for domestic production.
In response, Angola is investing in the modernization of its energy, transportation, and water infrastructure, while promoting the gradual transition to more productive and sustainable agricultural practices.
Francisco says there has been a “strategic repositioning of agriculture as a key factor in Angola’s economic growth and diversification.” It is now seen as capable of “generating employment, stimulating exports, and strengthening food security and local development.”
That’s exactly why its government is finding new ways to capitalize on this potential.
Seeding the community
Angola’s agriculture industry grew from 5.8% of GDP in 2011 to around 10% today. And momentum is not slowing down.
Stimulating the sector is a top-line priority for the country’s National Development Plan 2023-2027, which is supported by a raft of initiatives to supply the funding, education, and technology needed to scale the nation’s agribusinesses.
In 2025, FADA financed 4,843 projects worth 48.1 billion kwanzas (US$52.64 million), increasing access to credit through more simplified and easier procedures for those who, in the past, faced increased difficulties.
FADA backs a program called “Acceleration of Family Farming and Strengthening Food Security” also called “Osi Yetu”. “As part of this, 14 initiatives are aimed at financing the mechanization of agriculture, including the strengthening of technical capacity and reuse of idle equipment,” reveals Francisco.
This support is critical in opening modern farming methods that can at once improve yields, enable a shift from simple grains to higher-value cash crops, and reduce the backbreaking labor of manual techniques.
FADA also has an initiative dedicated to training producers in the use and maintenance of equipment. Many skilled people have successfully established businesses by upskilling as mechanization technicians.
Another initiative included in the “Osi Yetu” program is the strengthening of Community Banks, integrated into local agricultural cooperatives. These banks raise subsidized financing from FADA and grant subsidized microcredits to the community. In addition to the acquisition of production inputs, the funds have been used to build schools, pharmacies, mills, and rural access roads.
The results from this initiative alone are impressive. Together, FADA says that in 2024 they enabled the cultivation of approximately 48,000 additional hectares and the production of nearly 500,000 tons of various products.
Beyond the nearly 30,000 direct recipients of these programs, Francisco says around 167,000 others have benefited as a result of improved living conditions and employment opportunities.
It’s a clear demonstration of agriculture’s ripple effect. And greater opportunities lie ahead.
Global breadbasket
The World Bank has touted Angola as a “future agriculture powerhouse of Africa.” Experts say that with the right investment, the country could be a global “breadbasket.”
Macro-scale initiatives are being designed to fulfil these promises. The government is engaged in a massive push to electrify the countryside, augmenting its predominantly hydro-powered grid with solar, which will increase advanced production techniques and result in a system even more independent of rainfall.
It also opens the door to constructing the cold chain of refrigerated storage and transport required for shipping produce overseas.
Meanwhile, transport projects like the Lobito Corridor, 530km of railway stretching from Zambia to the Angolan coast, are forging a path from farm to port. Projects like these provide the routes for Angola to export agricultural surplus, with the potential to significantly increase the sector’s value.
And with the UN projecting that global food production needs to grow by 50-70% by 2050, agricultural Angola is exactly what the world needs.
“The future is promising,” believes Francisco. “Based on a modern, competitive agricultural model, which prioritizes the rural producer and responds to the demands of internal and external markets.”
Learn more about Angola’s agricultural ambitions here.
