Kigali: The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has introduced two new tools in Africa to help governments more effectively track and allocate public spending in agrifood systems. This initiative was announced during a side event at the Africa Food Systems Forum in Kigali, Rwanda.
According to African Press Organization, the first tool, the FAO Agrifood Systems Public Expenditure Analysis (ASPEA), provides a standardized framework for countries to define, classify, and measure public spending within agrifood systems. This approach aims to promote consistent data, enhance accountability, and enable countries to monitor public spending commitments effectively.
The second tool, the FAO Policy Optimization Tool (PolOpT), is designed to assist governments in evaluating how current public resources can be allocated more efficiently across policies and subsectors to achieve national development objectives. Analysis utilizing PolOpT has indicated that reallocating existing expenditures can sometimes produce better outcomes than merely increasing overall spending. This is pertinent for governments striving to prioritize agrifood systems while balancing other public budget demands.
Meshack Malo, FAO Deputy Regional Representative for Africa, emphasized the significance of these tools by stating, 'Today, we are not simply launching two technical tools. We are launching practical instruments that can support governments in planning, budgeting, implementation, and accountability.' Malo also urged Member States, the African Union, Regional Economic Communities, development partners, financial institutions, and research organizations to collaborate with FAO to expand the tools' usage across Africa.
In Africa, these tools are particularly valuable in supporting countries as they implement the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Kampala Strategy and Action Plan 2025-2035. Developed by economists from FAO's Agrifood Economics and Policy Division and the FAO Investment Centre, the methodology provides policymakers and researchers with a comprehensive view of public resource allocation across agrifood systems.
PolOpT complements expenditure tracking by helping governments explore how existing budgets could be reshaped to meet national priorities. Developed by economists in FAO's Monitoring and Analysing Food and Agricultural Policies (MAFAP) programme, it employs country-specific economic modeling to create alternative spending scenarios. These scenarios allow policymakers to evaluate trade-offs among agricultural, economic, social, and environmental objectives within current fiscal constraints.
Rwanda, the host of the Africa Food Systems Forum 2026, has already begun applying the approach. The Rwandan Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources, Telesphore Ndabamenye, recently validated the results of FAO's PolOpT analysis and approved its implementation in Rwanda. Following the minister's endorsement, the analysis results are set to be disseminated more widely across the government, including the Office of the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, and other line ministries.
Elsewhere in Africa, PolOpT is also guiding public investment planning. FAO has applied the tool in countries such as Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mozambique, Nigeria, and Uganda. Notably, Nigeria has utilized PolOpT analysis to inform its National Agrifood Systems Investment Plan for 2026-2027.