Sustainable intensification is generally acknowledged as a major driver for increasing food and nutrition security in Africa. It implies higher agricultural production per unit of resources, labour and/or land. It is not only geared towards increased production of food and biomass, but also towards providing employment and improving livelihoods. Sustainable intensification must play a central role in the management of natural resources such as water, biodiversity, soil nutrients and in the regulation of the carbon cycle.
Realizing that much is needed and much is possible, the IntensAfrica Consortium emerged in 2012 with the objectives to document the variety of pathways leading to sustainable intensification, and to align efforts in doing so. African and European members of the consortium agreed to jointly engage in the preparation of a new, strategic, long-term and ambitious re-search and innovation partnership between Europe and Africa in the thematic area of sustainable intensification of agri-food systems. A project named PROIntens Africa was formulated to develop such partnership, and, with funding of the EC, was carried out for two years with active involvement of 23 African and European partners. This report is the final output of this project.