Given that agriculture employs more than 60% of Africa’s workforce, experts emphasize boosting energy access as a critical input to enhancing productivity and food security. On this front, Mongabay’s reporting on the growing role of solar energy in smallholder agriculture has helped catalyze action, from inspiring NGOs to implement similar solutions to being used as a knowledge-sharing tool for clean energy development across the continent.
In March 2025, Mongabay published a report highlighting how smallholder farmers across Rwanda are increasingly adopting solar-powered irrigation systems to adapt to climate change, increase crop yields, and reduce dependency on costly diesel generators. The article showcased real-life examples, such as Rwandan farmer Victor Ndwaniye, who said that his crop yields tripled after switching to solar irrigation. It also spotlighted regional efforts supported by the World Resources Institute and national governments to integrate renewable energy across agricultural value chains, from irrigation to cold storage to market transport.
