African Food Security

What African Food Security does

African Food Security (AFS) is a New York-headquartered, foreign-led agricultural development company founded in 2024 that invests in Africa's underutilized arable land to reduce the continent's food import dependency. The company cultivates a diversified commodity portfolio — maize, cocoa, cassava, coffee, alfalfa, wheat, sugar, cashew, and dates — alongside complementary ventures in aquaculture, dairy, and food processing/distribution. AFS serves three primary constituencies: smallholder farmers across Africa (climate-resilient seeds, training, and smart-agriculture tools), African national governments (large-scale land development deals, beginning with Cameroon), and international development organizations.

Technically, AFS operates a smart-agriculture stack combining IoT soil and climate sensors, drone-based NDVI crop monitoring, satellite imagery, AI-driven crop-disease and yield-forecast models, and mobile/SMS advisory platforms to deliver weather, soil, and market data directly to farmers. The company also runs a Climate-Smart Farming program emphasizing drought-resistant seeds, irrigation optimization, agroecology, agroforestry, and crop rotation, and has launched an Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW) carbon-sequestration project in Cameroon with Flux that could generate carbon-credit revenue. Complementary social programs include computer-lab digital-literacy initiatives in rural schools and food/nutrition education curricula.

AFS earns revenue through institutional, project-based agricultural development contracts rather than consumer-facing sales — government agreements, academic collaborations (Michigan State University College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Louisiana State University AgCenter), and carbon-removal partnerships. The company employs an enterprise field-sales GTM targeting governments and development institutions, supported by thought-leadership content marketing and CEO media appearances on CNBC Africa and PR Newswire. No public pricing, revenue figures, or funding rounds are disclosed in available source material, and the company is privately held with no institutional investors identified.

Name

African Food Security

Legal name

African Food Security

Website

https://africanfoodsecurity.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

African Food Security is a New York-based agricultural development company founded in 2024 that invests in African arable land, cultivating commodities like maize, cocoa, cassava, and coffee via climate-smart and smart-agriculture technologies to serve governments, smallholder farmers, and development organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Development Services

NAICS

Corn Farming (11115), Oilseed and Grain Farming (1111)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGABAB

Agriculture & Food Security Development

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/International Development & Poverty Alleviation

SECONDARYBPADAEAG

Agriculture, Food Security & Nutrition Technical Assistance

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/International Development & Technical Assistance

SECONDARYBPADALAG

Sustainable Agriculture, Food Systems & Land Management

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Climate, Environment & Sustainable Development Programs

SECONDARYBPADABAD

Food Security, Agriculture & Nutrition Aid Programs

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Bilateral Development Agencies & Aid Programs

SECONDARYAFAGAGAM

Sweetener & Stimulant Specialty Crop Farming (Stevia, Guarana, Kola)

Agriculture & Food Production/Crop Farming/Specialty & Industrial Crop Farming (Tobacco, Hops, Spices, Medicinal/Aromatic Plants)

Keywords

• Sustainable agriculture
• Climate-smart farming
• Agricultural development
• Food security solutions
• Commercial farming

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Agricultural Development Projects: AFS earns revenue through large-scale agricultural development projects targeting underutilized arable land across Africa. These projects involve the cultivation of commodities such as maize, cocoa, cassava, coffee, alfalfa, wheat, sugar, nuts (cashew), and dates. Revenue is derived from commercial farming output and potentially export of agricultural products. The company also aims to transform Cameroon from a maize importer to an exporter.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

African Food Security invests in technology-driven farming and sustainable agriculture to improve food production across Africa. The company develops large-scale agricultural projects that cultivate commodities such as maize, cocoa, cassava, coffee, alfalfa, wheat, sugar, cashew, and dates, while providing smallholder farmers with climate-smart training, drought-resistant seeds, and modern farming techniques. AFS also operates food distribution, food education programs, and carbon-sequestration projects in partnership with governments and academic institutions.

Product overview

African Food Security (AFS) operates as an agricultural development company offering a comprehensive portfolio of products and services. The core service offerings include Agricultural Products Services (covering subsistence farming, commercial farming, crop processing, and dairy), Fresh Food, Fresh & Imported Foods, Grocery Foods, Firm Food Delivery, and Sweet & Meat Production. The company's agricultural commodity portfolio includes Maize, Cocoa, Cassava, Coffee, Alfalfa, Wheat, Sugar, Nuts (Cashew), and Dates. Additionally, AFS provides specialized programs including African Food Education Programs, Aquaculture/Fish Farming ventures, and the Growing Sustainably Program. Together, these offerings form an integrated approach from farm production through processing to distribution, with complementary educational and technology-focused initiatives to advance food security across Africa.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Agricultural Products Services Comprehensive agricultural services encompassing subsistence farming, commercial farming, crop processing, and dairy product operations for smallholder farmers and large-scale commercial agricultural ventures.
• Fresh Food Fresh produce and food products sourced from AFS-operated farms for distribution to consumers and markets.
• Fresh & Imported Foods Import and distribution of fresh food products to complement local production and meet market demand.
• Grocery Foods Packaged and processed grocery food products for retail distribution.
• Farm Food Delivery End-to-end food delivery services from farm to consumer, ensuring timely distribution of agricultural products.
• Sweet & Meat Production Production and processing of sweet products and meat for domestic consumption and export markets.
• Maize Organic maize production for food security, supporting communities with drought-resistant seeds and climate-smart farming techniques.
• Cocoa Cocoa cultivation supporting millions of smallholder farmers in Africa, serving as a major export crop.
• Cassava Staple crop production for local consumption and food security in African communities.
• Coffee Coffee production as a major export crop in several African countries, supporting livelihoods and foreign exchange.
• Alfalfa High-protein crop for livestock and dairy sector transformation, with potential applications in biofuel markets.
• African Food Education Programs Educational programs designed to preserve traditional food practices while equipping communities with tools for sustainable farming, nutrition, and food preparation, including school curriculums on indigenous crops, cooking workshops, and mobile learning platforms.
• Aquaculture/Fish Farming Fish farming projects supplying fresh protein to local families and creating export opportunities to the Middle East and Europe.

Quantifiable outcome

• Malnutrition rates dropped significantly in communities where AFS introduced climate-smart farming and nutrition training.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability7 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Michigan State University (MSU) College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 July 2024MSU CANR signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) with AFS to explore collaborative opportunities for improving agricultural productivity in Africa. The partnership will explore student and faculty exchanges with universities in Cameroon including the University of Ngaoundere and University of Maroua. Focus areas include agronomy, animal nutrition, cattle genetics, soil health, and the possibility of creating a joint Center of Excellence in West Africa or the UAE. MSU is one of the United States' top land-grant universities, recognized globally for expertise in agriculture and international development with active programs in over 80 countries.
• Flux (Carbon Dioxide Removal Company)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFlux, a carbon dioxide removal company specializing in enhanced rock weathering (ERW), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with AFS to launch a significant ERW project in Cameroon. The partnership combines AFS's agricultural development operations with Flux's carbon removal technology, potentially providing AFS with carbon credit revenue streams while advancing Cameroon's climate goals.
• Government of CamerooncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFS sealed a strategic deal with the government of Cameroon to boost economic growth and development within communities. The partnership is central to AFS's strategy of transforming Cameroon from a maize importer to an exporter and forms the basis of the company's land development operations in the Central African country.
• Louisiana State University AgCenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLouisiana State University AgCenter partnered with AFS (through its predecessor entity African Agriculture under Alan Kessler's leadership) to provide African farmers with access to world-class training, research, and technology. The partnership helped build a knowledge base for AFS's agricultural development initiatives.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Export Trading Group (ETG): Large African agribusiness conglomerate operating across commodities, inputs, and logistics in 30+ countries. Comparable as an established Africa-wide agricultural platform with diversified commodity exposure, representing scaled incumbents AFS competes against.
• Corteva Agriscience: Global agricultural inputs and seed company with operations and breeding programs across Africa. Comparable as a major incumbent supplying the climate-resilient seed varieties and crop protection products central to AFS's climate-smart farming approach.
• Touton SA: French-headquartered agricultural commodity trader with deep African sourcing operations across cocoa, coffee, and other soft commodities. Comparable on the cocoa and coffee value chains AFS cultivates and on its Africa-focused origin operations.

Direct peers

• Babban Gona: Nigerian agricultural development company that partners with smallholder farmer cooperatives to improve maize, rice, and soybean yields. Directly comparable in serving African smallholders with input financing, training, and climate-smart agronomic practices.
• AgDevCo: Specialist impact investor in African agribusiness, providing capital and technical assistance to agricultural development projects across sub-Saharan Africa. Directly comparable as a specialized Africa-focused agricultural development platform targeting smallholder and commercial farming.
• One Acre Fund: Large non-profit social enterprise serving smallholder farmers in East and Southern Africa with inputs, training, and market access. Comparable because it serves the same smallholder farmer segment that constitutes AFS's primary customer base, using technology-enabled agricultural extension.
• African Agriculture Inc. Predecessor entity of AFS under CEO Alan Kessler, focusing on alfalfa cultivation and aquaculture in Africa. Most directly comparable peer because it shares the same leadership, similar commodity focus, and African agribusiness development model.

Emerging players

• Twiga Foods: Kenya-based B2B food distribution platform connecting farmers to urban retailers using tech-enabled logistics. Comparable as an African agritech player modernizing supply chains, though it focuses on distribution and market linkage rather than production.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fafrican93
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/african-food-security-afs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about African Food Security