Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, (a) how much and (b) what proportion of her Department's overseas aid is used to support food production in Africa.

The UK supports food production in Africa by funding agricultural research, stimulating investment and trade and linking farmers to markets to help them exit poverty while increasing food availability.

Data on UK support to food production in Africa are not readily available. UK bilateral assistance to agriculture quadrupled between 2010 and 2015 to £300 million or 3.9% of the bilateral aid budget. Of this, £129 million was earmarked for Africa and an additional £93 million to global initiatives including Africa.