Sub-Saharan Africa’s agrifood sector presents a rare combination of scale and untapped productivity gains. Around 70% of the region’s population works in agriculture and the sector contributes roughly 30% of GDP, yet yields remain low — cereal yields average only about 1–2 t/ha, roughly 60% below the global average. That gap is not inevitable: history shows other regions closed similar gaps through improved seeds, fertilizer, irrigation and mechanization. If deployed thoughtfully and adapted to local crops and conditions, those technologies can multiply yields, raise incomes and expand local food manufacturing.

Small farmers and small processors lose a large share of potential income because of familiar, fixable problems: poor roads and transport, lack of storage, information gaps, weak bargaining power, and costly buyer requirements. Breaking Barriers pulls together proven, on-the-ground examples and practical steps that real producer groups and companies have used to change that — from Ghana’s cooperatives that co-own brands, to India’s village kiosks, Kenya’s aggregation networks, solar cold rooms in Nigeria, and franchise-style agribusiness and insurance models in Africa and Latin America.

In this episode, we focus on the single most practical lever for sustainable, high-impact growth: technology transfer. Done well, it multiplies productivity, builds durable local capacity, and creates recurring service revenues. Done poorly, it becomes an expensive one-off that locals can't maintain or afford to repair. This guide provides a clear, actionable playbook to turn technology transfer from good intentions into measurable, scalable impact—starting with your conversations on the Expo floor.