Optimised agro-industrial sector can create about 17 million jobs in Africa,

8 January 2018. Over 640 million Africans have no access to energy, which means over 60 percent of population. At the same time, the continent has abundant renewable energy sources that could fuel its energy revolution.

The UN Environment inquiry report on sustainable financing of development (2015, 212 p), amongst others, highlights the urgent need for a blended financing model combining publicly, privately, domestically and internationally sourced finances in Africa. Furthermore, in Africa, energy development must be considered a socioeconomic development and job creator accelerator.

To really add value, energy sector developments should be linked to improving productivity in labour intensive industries like agriculture. Green crowdfunding’s potential contribution should be viewed within this framework. Projections are that an optimised agro-industrial sector can create about 17 million jobs in Africa, and inject more than €843 billion in Africa's economy by 2030. Dr. Richard Munang, coordinator of the United Nations Environment (UNEP) Africa Regional Climate Change Programme.

Apart from a positive energy dimension, selected investment projects should benefit society, allowing people to participate and earn some money. One such project, the African Briquet Factory in Ethiopia, produces briquettes out of the residue of an agricultural crop - coffee - that are a more energy efficient fire fuel, save CO2 and allow people create an income by selling it.

The UN backed pan-African platform EFABOSA (Ecosystem Based Adaptation for Food Security Assembly), founded two years ago, helps countries to build sustainable, climate-resilient food systems.

EBAFOSA is an inclusive pan-African policy framework and platform, an institution with protocols – a constitution and rules of procedure adopted in an inclusive continental process - guiding its actions, that provides a platform for all stakeholders in a country as well as continental - from governments and their agencies, the public sector, private sector, educational and research institutions, individual publics/citizens, CBOs, international intergovernmental organizations, NGOs, CSOs, FBOs