In 2009, AATF carried out a review of its original eight major problem areas that broadened its scope of work. The review aimed at:

• creating consistency of AATF priority problem areas with key constraints to agricultural productivity in SSA as informed by current global developments regarding food security
• broadening the scope of the priority problem areas to allow for  a balanced portfolio of projects
• expanding the AATF definition of problem areas by classifying them in terms of the constraints
• ensuring that AATF continues to fulfill the niche mandate of negotiated access to proprietary agricultural technologies.

AATF Priority areas

• Impact of climate change on agriculture
  Water Efficient Maize for Africa (WEMA)
  
  
• Pest management
  Striga Control in Maize
  Cowpea Productivity Improvement
  Mycotoxins in Food Grains
  
  
• Soil management
  Raising the Productivity of Rice in Africa
  
  
• Nutrient enhancement in foods
  Developing Nutritionally Enhanced Sorghum Varieties
  
  
• Improved breeding methods
  Molecular diagnostics and marker assisted selection (MAS) tools for crop improvement (Concept)
  
  
• Mechanization (energy requirements & energy technologies)
  Improving Cassava Productivity on Smallholder Farms (Product concept)

In addition to the priority areas, AATF identified the following as enabling activities cutting across all projects that need to be addressed along the product value chain

• Best management practices
• Value chains and agro-processing
• Market linkages
• Information & knowledge management
• Marker Assisted Selection (MAS)