By: Jide Akinseye
As Africa grapples with rising food insecurity, energy shortages and climate pressures, renewable energy experts are increasingly pointing to solar technology as a powerful solution capable of transforming agriculture and rural livelihoods simultaneously. From fish farms in China to women-led cooperatives in Malawi, new models combining clean energy with food production are reshaping how communities farm, process and preserve agricultural produce. Stakeholders say the growing global success stories offer Africa a major opportunity to unlock productivity, strengthen food systems and accelerate rural economic development.
Solar energy is steadily emerging as the engine of a new agricultural revolution, redefining how food is produced, processed and preserved across developing economies.
Chief Executive Officer of SMEFUNDS, Dr. Femi Oye, believes the transformation is already underway, describing it as a “quiet revolution” capable of reshaping agriculture, energy access and rural livelihoods at the same time.
According to him, solar technology is no longer limited to household electricity or urban energy systems, but is increasingly becoming central to agricultural production, irrigation, dairy processing and rural economic development.
He said the growing global shift toward solar-powered agricultural systems demonstrates that clean energy and food production can successfully coexist on the same land without competition.
For decades, policymakers and investors operated under the assumption that agricultural land had to be devoted either to food production or energy generation.
Oye argued that recent innovations are dismantling that belief by proving that land can simultaneously support both sectors while improving rural livelihoods.
“What we are witnessing globally is the dismantling of a false choice,” he said.
According to him, some of the strongest evidence is emerging from projects documented by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) Coalition for Action, which highlighted successful solar-powered agri-food systems across countries including China, Iran, Japan, Malawi, Tanzania and Uganda.
One of the most striking examples, he noted, is China’s fishery-solar model developed in its densely populated coastal regions where land scarcity and rising energy demand once appeared irreconcilable.
Under the model, solar panels are elevated above aquaculture ponds, allowing shrimp and sea cucumber farming to continue beneath while electricity generated from the panels is supplied to the national grid.
Oye explained that the integrated system has produced remarkable results, with aquaculture yields increasing significantly alongside clean energy production.
Beyond boosting productivity, the initiative has also modernised infrastructure and demonstrated how food production, ecosystem management and renewable energy generation can operate within a single agricultural footprint.
China’s aggressive renewable energy expansion, he added, has further strengthened confidence in the viability of such models.
According to him, the country has already surpassed its target of 1,200 gigawatts of combined wind and solar capacity several years ahead of schedule and now aims to achieve 3,600 gigawatts by 2035 under its revised climate commitments.
He noted that long-term power purchase agreements and supportive tax incentives have helped reduce financial risks for investors while creating a stable commercial pathway for balancing energy expansion with agricultural activities.
Oye also highlighted developments in Iran, where electricity shortages have historically disrupted irrigation systems and constrained agricultural productivity.
He explained that many farmers previously depended on diesel-powered pumps that frequently shut down for several hours daily due to unstable electricity supply.
To address the challenge, farmers began adopting grid-connected solar photovoltaic systems that now provide more reliable irrigation and reduce dependence on costly diesel fuel.
Within one year alone, over 500 farmers reportedly adopted the solar-powered systems through a farmer-owned investment structure that allowed them to benefit from both electricity generation and increased agricultural output.
Beyond productivity gains, Oye said access to solar energy has become a tool for economic empowerment, particularly for women and smallholder farmers.
He pointed to Malawi as an example where solar-powered agricultural systems, supported by women cooperatives and market access programmes, are helping to strengthen household incomes and rural resilience.
“Access to solar energy is access to power in every sense of the word,” he said.
According to him, when women farmers gain access to clean energy technologies alongside cooperative support structures, the benefits extend beyond improved yields to broader economic transformation within rural communities.
Despite the growing success stories, Oye warned that Africa still faces major obstacles in scaling solar-powered agriculture across the continent.
He identified inadequate financing, weak business models and insufficient long-term policy commitment as major barriers slowing deployment.
According to him, the biggest challenge is no longer the technology itself, but the inability to mobilise the resources and institutional support required for large-scale adoption.
“The gap between what solar technology can achieve and what is currently being deployed across rural Africa remains enormous,” he said.
He maintained that many farmers, women cooperatives and rural producers are ready to adopt solar solutions but lack the financial support needed to invest in the systems.
Oye therefore called on governments, development agencies and private investors to increase support for solar-powered agricultural initiatives, stressing that declining solar costs and expanding evidence of success have already created a strong foundation for rapid growth.
He argued that rural farmers should not be viewed as beneficiaries of charity but as key drivers of economic development capable of transforming food systems and strengthening energy security.
According to him, every farm that adopts solar energy reduces dependence on diesel, lowers vulnerability to power outages and contributes to the broader goal of sustainable food production.
As pressure mounts on African countries to address food insecurity, unemployment and climate challenges simultaneously, experts believe solar-powered agriculture may increasingly become one of the continent’s most practical pathways toward inclusive and sustainable development.
