Arabfields, Maleeka Kassou, East, West & Central Africa Agriculture Correspondent — Africa is entering 2026 with an economic opportunity growing quietly across its farms, forests and rural communities. The continent produces a large share of the world’s tree-based commodities, yet much of the money generated from those products is still captured outside Africa.

A recent assessment by Landscape Alliance shows that Africa captures less than 10 percent of the global market value of most of its major tree commodities. The imbalance is striking. The continent supplies about 70 percent of the world’s cocoa beans, up to 90 percent of gum arabic and more than half of global cashew production. Tree commodities are cultivated on more than 100 million hectares across Africa, creating a huge economic base that remains only partly developed.

For millions of farmers and rural workers, the issue is more than a matter of trade statistics. A farmer who sells raw cocoa, cashew nuts or shea products receives income at the beginning of a value chain, while much higher earnings can be generated later through processing, packaging, manufacturing and branding. The difference can determine whether a rural household has enough money to expand its farm, employ workers or invest in education.

The same challenge affects communities that depend on forests and agroforestry systems. Local knowledge and natural resources already provide food, materials and income, but limited access to finance, technology and processing facilities often prevents communities from moving into more profitable parts of the market.

The figures available in 2026 point to a considerable gap. Africa is the world’s leading producer of shea, baobab and argan oil, while its position in cocoa, gum arabic and cashew gives it substantial influence over international supply. Yet production leadership has not translated into equivalent control over the industries built around these commodities.

That is why the emerging debate is shifting from how much Africa can produce to how much value it can retain. Processing cocoa into chocolate, cashews into packaged foods, shea into cosmetics and tree products into industrial materials can create jobs closer to where the raw materials are grown. It can also give farmers and small businesses access to markets that are less exposed to fluctuations in the prices of unprocessed commodities.

Investment will be central to that transition. In June 2026, discussions on a tree-powered African bioeconomy described the opportunity as potentially worth trillions of dollars, while stressing that many tree-based businesses remain underfinanced and insufficiently prepared to attract investment. Better roads, reliable energy, processing equipment, research, skills and access to credit will be needed if the continent is to move further up the value chain.

There is also a social dimension. Women are particularly important in several tree-based value chains, including shea, while young people are increasingly being viewed as potential entrepreneurs in processing, technology and green industries. If more stages of production remain within African economies, the benefits could extend beyond farmers to transporters, technicians, manufacturers, retailers and service providers.

The environmental stakes are equally significant. A stronger tree-based economy does not necessarily mean cutting down more trees. Properly managed agroforestry and forest-based enterprises can support livelihoods while contributing to soil protection, biodiversity, climate resilience and landscape restoration. The challenge will be to increase economic value without encouraging unsustainable exploitation.

Based on the direction of investment and policy discussions in 2026, Africa is likely to see greater efforts to build domestic processing capacity over the coming years. The most promising markets are expected to be those where the continent already has a strong production advantage and where relatively modest investments in technology and quality control can create higher-value products.

If governments succeed in combining industrial policies with private investment, research and community participation, Africa could gradually capture a much larger share of the value generated by its tree resources. The shift will not happen overnight, but the starting point is already clear. With more than 100 million hectares involved in tree commodity production and the continent supplying a dominant share of several global markets, the raw material for a major green industrial economy is already there.

The question for the years ahead is whether Africa will continue to export the ingredients of wealth or build more of the industries that turn those resources into wealth at home.