Private Sector Engagement Approaches to Influence Local Food Systems: Positioning Food Processors at the Center

This impact brief highlights how engaging food processors as central actors in food systems can drive economic growth, improve diets, and strengthen resilience across local markets.

Drawing on results from the African Improved Nutritious Foods Processing (AINFP) program, implemented by TechnoServe in partnership with USAID and Partners in Food Solutions, this brief examines how working through food processors can influence multiple components of the food system. It shows that while food systems have traditionally focused on agricultural productivity, investments in food processing—combined with effective private sector engagement—can generate upstream and downstream benefits, from increasing smallholder incomes to improving food availability and affordability.

The findings demonstrate that positioning food processors at the center of interventions can unlock system-wide change. Through approaches such as targeted technical assistance, market linkage development, access to finance, and support for inclusive business practices, food processors can strengthen supply chains, expand market access, and increase the availability of safe, nutritious foods. These efforts also highlight the importance of building trust, enabling private sector ownership, and strengthening local service ecosystems to sustain impact over time.

Download the full impact brief to explore insights and recommendations for donors, policymakers, and development partners to design programs that leverage private sector engagement to transform food systems and deliver lasting economic and social outcomes.