Smallholder agriculture accounts for almost 80% of food production in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Most of the food produced is consumed with little processing or value addition that can increase income and provide better livelihoods. However, the agricultural sector is negatively impacted by climate change, threatening the region’s food supply across the different nodes of the food value chain. Women play crucial roles in the region’s agrifood systems – from production to agribusiness – shouldering a disproportionately higher burden of climate change amidst limited access to critical resources. Yet, women receive little support, even with the development of regional trade policies on the continent. The focus on industrial agriculture in Africa contributes to unsustainable practices that exacerbate social inequalities and increase environmental degradation, further reducing productivity and increasing hunger. Agroecology offers a viable alternative that can mitigate these negative impacts by enhancing biodiversity, improving soil health, building resilience and food sovereignty, and reducing dependence on harmful chemical inputs.