The Reform–Perform–Transform framework for sustainable agri-food system transformation in Africa

Abstract

African agriculture is increasingly central to global debates on sustainability, food systems transformation, climate resilience, and inclusive development. Despite its critical contributions to livelihoods, employment, food security, and economic development across the continent, the sector still faces persistent structural constraints, including low productivity, climate vulnerability, weak institutions, environmental degradation, limited diffusion of technology, and widening social inequalities. Against this backdrop, this study presents an Integrative Critical Review (ICR) with Sustainability Transition Synthesis across Africa, using a Reform → Perform → Transform analytical perspective. Evidence was synthesized from 106 peer-reviewed articles, policy documents, and institutional reports published between 2000 and 2025, and grounded in sustainability transition theory, food systems thinking, political ecology, structural transformation theory, and resilience frameworks. The review identifies major drivers of agricultural reform, evaluates regional patterns in performance and sustainability outcomes, and examines the role of innovation, governance, and climate adaptation in shaping transformation trajectories. The findings indicate that while significant progress has been achieved, substantial implementation gaps, institutional weaknesses, and regional disparities continue to constrain transformative change. The study contributes to the literature by synthesizing fragmented evidence into an integrated Reform → Perform → Transform (RPT) framework that links institutional reforms, sector performance, and the long-term sustainability transition. The study concludes that African agriculture should not be viewed merely as an underdeveloped sector requiring modernization, but rather as a multidimensional sustainability transition system shaped by interacting demographic, climatic, technological, institutional, and geopolitical pressures. The study further underscores the need for integrated institutional planning reform, the capacity to perform under pressure, and food systems transformation. The study integrates fragmented debates on productivity, resilience, governance, innovation, food security, livelihoods, and sustainability into a coherent transformation framework with important implications for policy, research, and practice across Africa.