<p>African Governments have pledged to spend at least 10% of their public expenditures on Agriculture to spur agricultural growth. However, while there is consensus that composition of Food and Agriculture Public expenditures is important, little empirical evidence exists on what determines this composition. Using a panel of thirteen African countries, we analyse how economic, structural and institutional factors affect allocations. We find that Governments spend more on public goods in countries at a more advanced stage of agricultural transformation, with more stable macro-economic environments, and more effective institutions. Countries with larger rural populations and arable land endowments tend to spend more on food and agriculture but tend to favour allocations towards specific private goods, such as input subsidies, whereas those with higher Government effectiveness scores tend to allocate higher shares to Extension and R&amp;D expenditures.</p>