In an interview with Bayer’s Head of Global Public Affairs, Max Müller, argued that Africa’s development challenges are too often shaped by outside assumptions, rigid models and underestimation of local realities. He said the continent’s agricultural promise is not a distant possibility but a present reality, driven by farmers, technology and growing innovation across the sector. Excerpts;
HER: Could we start with the concept of “Western arrogance” that you mentioned earlier? What do you mean by that, and how has it manifested itself in economic development in Africa?
Max Muller: What I have observed in the field across the African continent — and this is not unique to Africa — is that for far too long, we in Europe have had good intentions, but we often approached economic development in a way that said, “We will help you, but only if you do it our way.” I do not think that works. It is not a recipe for success.
Africa is not one single entity. There is no one Africa. What works in Kenya may not work in Côte d’Ivoire. What works in South Africa may not work in Morocco or South Sudan.
Recognizing the diversity of the continent, and the diversity of possible solutions, is very important. What I also meant is that it was not always fair for people in the West to tell Africans what is good for Africa and what is not. People here know their countries better than we do. They know what works best for them. In some areas, they may need advice or training, but not someone telling them, “This is how you do it, or we will not support you.” That is what I meant by Western arrogance.
HER: You also said that Africa has potential. How do you describe that?
Max: I would go even further. It is not only about potential, because potential always suggests that something may happen in the future. The future is already here. We see areas of excellence across the continent and across different crop varieties.
Look at chocolate, for example. We like to eat chocolate in the West, especially in Germany. But the prices depend on whether the harvest in West Africa is productive or not. So it is in our own interest that there are good harvests and effective ways forward that help the farmer. Right now, we are seeing raw products coming out of Africa, but not enough processing. So this is not just about potential, because production is already happening. It is about opportunities.
How do we scale up so that the continent becomes self-sufficient and gains access to innovation and high technology? From our point of view, that is very important. I think this goes beyond potential. It is about making the best of what is already possible, and we see those examples every day.
If you use our hybrid seeds, for example, we increase harvests by more than 18 percent on average. Is that potential, or is that a result? It is a result. We can see what farmers are capable of doing if they are given the right tools. So this is not only about potential — it is already happening. That is why we strongly believe in the African continent, and that anyone who is not here now will miss the next great success story: the development of this continent.
HER: A common criticism is that Bayer’s agricultural products are highly advanced but often too expensive for the average African farmer. How do you plan to address that affordability barrier?
Max: “Expensive” depends on how you look at it. If you have a cheaper seed that is less productive and gives you a lower harvest, is that really the better result?
Farmers in Africa are seeing that if they have a quality input, quality fertilizer or a quality crop-protection tool, the outcome will be better. Their harvest losses will be lower, and therefore the investment they make becomes more productive. So it is not only about the price, but about the value proposition.
We are also seeing that lenders, such as banks and other financial institutions, have more confidence in farmers when they know the money they lend has a higher chance of being repaid through the use of high-quality inputs. That increases the likelihood of good results from the fields, through hard work, and gives farmers the ability to repay any financial support they receive.
So I would say it is not about us being expensive; rather, it is about proving consistently that we deliver the best possible outcomes so farmers can become profitable in the strongest way possible.
HER: Do you have specific structures in place to help smallholders bridge this financial gap?
Max: Absolutely. It is not only about us. You also have the World Bank and other financial institutions, but there are also opportunities from startups. You mentioned Pula as one of the startups bringing together downstream and upstream parts of the value chain.
Smallholder farmers face challenges in accessing financial support — we know that. But banks and financial institutions also worry about whether they will get their money back. Through technology tools and platforms, whether provided by IFIs or private startups and agri-facilitators, we are now seeing greater trust from banks and lenders. They can see that if a farmer has three acres of land and chooses a particular crop because the soil is a perfect fit, and uses inputs A, B and C from a specific source, success is more likely.
That allows us to connect financial markets, banks, lenders and fertilizer producers with smallholder farmers through digital tools, such as smartphones, and still make the system work. The financial market also understands that farmers need a seven-month window, from the investment stage through post-harvest, before they can actually sell their products and begin repaying support.
So I would say the tools are there and they are growing. And interestingly enough, you had colleagues from Ethiopia on stage. There are many agri-tech companies emerging there, and you have banks like Equity Bank that are willing and able to support this development. I am very confident that this is creating more opportunities for smallholder and emerging farmers across the African continent.
HER: Let us address a critical local bottleneck. Bayer’s office in Ethiopia faces significant hurdles in securing foreign exchange to import vital agricultural inputs. How are you navigating this problem?
Max: I was in Ethiopia in February. I understand that this is a major problem, but I also see that there is a lot of activity on the policy side to tackle these challenges. Do we have the perfect solution yet? Not yet. But we have seen some progress, including the involvement of German banks and others.
I think we are moving more and more in that direction. The forex issue is not unique to Ethiopia. We have seen it in other countries as well. We are working with banks, policymakers and international financial institutions on how to overcome it, but also on improving predictability in the political framework. The stability we are now seeing gives more trust and more reason to say, “Let’s give this another try.”
You came out of a financial crisis, you are repaying your debts and you have a path toward recovery. I have strong confidence that Ethiopia is going to be very productive in this market quite soon. We are trying, together with partners, to create the right solutions for the Ethiopian market in the short term. From what I took away from the trip, we will have good solutions available very, very soon.
HER: What are the major problems of operating in Africa?
Max: In the past, the lack of success was partly because large commercial farmers produced good results, while many people did not focus on the smallholder problem, since it is more complex. But due to the technical and digital revolution, it is now easier and more feasible to expand access.
Bayer has a mission: health for all, hunger for none. Without smallholder farmers, it is impossible for that mission to succeed. So we have adapted the way we look at these issues. We have seen that smaller successes create bigger ones.
The site we built in Zambia is just one example. If we believe in the work of farmers, if they believe in science, technology and quality inputs, the results will prove the case. Then, instead of being recipients of aid, people become entrepreneurs who can sell the products of their own labor. I think this thinking has become more valid in Africa, with greater belief in its own strengths rather than dependence on others.
People are standing up and saying, “We are fighting for ourselves, and we are doing this in a proper way.” That change in attitude and perception also gives businesses the willingness to invest more, and perhaps even take a little more risk, because they see people on the other side who are willing and able to do something good for this continent.
That is why we at Bayer strongly believe the best days for Africa are ahead. But they are not in some distant future — the future is beginning now.
HER: So your seeds are sustainable?
Max: Yes. I believe Africa has not only the ability to do this in a short period of time, but that we will get there. Food security is such an important issue, and seeing people starving in a continent that has arable land and the labor to work it is something we will never accept.
So we are trying to do whatever we can, for example through a program to give 100 million smallholder farmers around the world access to innovative inputs. That is part of Bayer’s sustainability commitment, and we are working toward it.
As I mentioned, by 2030 we want 21.3 million smallholder farmers here on this continent to be able to do that, and we are on a good trajectory. Again, it is not about being recipients of donations; it is about building entrepreneurial farming across the continent. The progress we are seeing is immense.
You can see the pride when people realize what they can produce from their soil with a little initial support at a pivotal moment in their lives. Then they are willing to take their lives into their own hands and create something. That is what makes Africa so strong: the willingness of the people is so powerful.
