Author: AGRF Digital

Sep 7, 2022 | Press Release

Africa Food Prize Winner 2022 Announced

Kigali: September 7, 2022 – Eric Yirenkyi Danquah was today announced the winner of the 2022 Africa Food Prize at the AGRF2022 Summit in Kigali, Rwanda.

The Africa Food Prize is the preeminent annual award that recognizes outstanding individuals or institutions that are leading the effort to change the reality of farming in Africa.

Eric Yirenkyi Danquah has been celebrated for his outstanding expertise, leadership and grantsmanship skills that led to the establishment and development of the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI) as a world class centre for training plant breeders in Africa for Africa. Danquah is a Ghanaian plant geneticist, professor, founding director of the WACCI and former director of the Biotechnology Centre at the University of Ghana.

Danquah founded the WACCI in 2007 at the University of Ghana, with the “aim of training a new generation of plant breeders to develop improved varieties of staple crops in West and Central Africa”. Through his leadership, WACCI attracted more than $30M US dollars of research and develpment funding and trained more than 120 PhD and 49 MPhil students in Seed Science and Technology from 19 African countries. This led to more than 60 improved seed varieties, including superior maize hybrid varieties, which will help boost yield for farmers and contribute towards food and nutrition security.

Today, the institution boasts of a new molecular biology/tissue culture laboratory, a bioinformatics platform, and cutting-edge university farms including a US$300,000 ultra-modern screen house for controlled experiments.

This year’s winner selection is a reflection of the importance of promoting science and technology as tools to develop solutions for sustainable food systems.

The winner was chosen by a preeminent judging panel of leaders in African agriculture, comprising Africa Food Prize Committee President H.E. Olusegun Obasanjo (outgoing Chair), Dr. Vera Songwe, Dr. Eleni Z. Gabre- Madhin,  Dr. Kamau-Rutenberg, Mr. Birama Sidibé and Prof. Sheryl Hendriks, Dr Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli.

H.E. Olusegun Obasanjo said:

“It is a great privilege to be able to honour and shine a spotlight on the truly remarkable achievements of Dr. Danquah. His leadership in genetic innovation inspires the future of food security and nutrition in Africa has made a tangible difference to how a new generation is working to improve African food systems. He has been, and continues to be, a true inspiration for many young minds. On behalf of the African Food Prize Committee, I would like to extend my warmest congratulations and appreciation for his continuing endeavors.”  

The Africa Food Prize 2022 was sponsored by Corteva, Kenya Commercial Bank, UPL and AGRA.

About The Africa Food Prize

The Africa Food Prize is the preeminent award recognizing an outstanding individual or institution that is leading the effort to change the reality of farming in Africa—from a struggle to survive to a business that thrives.

The US $100,000 prize celebrates Africans who are taking control of Africa’s agriculture agenda. It puts a spotlight on bold initiatives and technical innovations that can be replicated across the continent to create a new era of food security and economic opportunity for all Africans.

The Prize Committee considers the following criteria for the Prize:

  • Contribution to reducing poverty and hunger and/or improving food and nutrition security in measurable terms
  • Contribution to providing a vital source of income and/or employment in measurable terms
  • Potential for transformative change through scalability, replication, and sustainability
  • Increased awareness and cooperation among African audiences and organizations
https://africafoodprize.org/

for details and any inquires, please contact:

Boaz Blackie Keizire

Head of the Africa Food Prize Secretariat

+254733733445

BKeizire@agra.org 

To register for virtual attendance at the AGRF 2022 Summit visit: https://summit2022.agrf.org/en/registration

For enquiries to AGRF virtual press room: ewangui@hudsonsandler.com

| AGRF 2022 Summit voices

Tony Blair: World food system needs a new kind of investment

Original Post: African Business

Opinion by Tony Blair

Channelling patient, climate-smart investment to Africa’s dynamic agri-business sector is not only the right thing to do. There is a business case, says the former UK prime minister.

As African Presidents, agri-businesses, tech entrepreneurs, investors and philanthropists come together in Kigali this week at the AGRF food and agriculture summit, the world is hungrier than it has been in years.

2014 saw the number of people affected by hunger beginning to slowly increase, for the first time in decades. The last two years have seen that slow rise gather pace – around 3bn people worldwide can no longer afford healthy diets. The world has moved backwards in its efforts to end hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition.   

| Blog

Special Event – Farmers Forum: Leaders in dialogue with African Farmers.

On Day 1, in the first special event of the in-person AGRF 2022 Summit it is the farmers themselves that are at the heart of the conversation. Moreover, they are at the heart of Africa’s economic growth and agricultural transformation and with the dizzying statistic that around 70% of the population are employed in agriculture, this session was all about ensuring their voices are heard. A task that was ably moderated by Eugene Anangwe from CNBC who was quick to celebrate the fact that we were able to attend the summit in-person.

Today’s forum started with a welcome and some framing remarks by Mr Kolyang Palabele, President of the Pan-African Farmers Organization (PAFO) who spoke about the need to listen, to set objectives and to have clear strategies that will transform the whole agricultural firmament and allow for a quiet revolution of how this sector is managed going forward.

With the period of rapid change that has plagued the global economy – from Covid-19 to natural disasters linked to climate change, in addition to conflicts, the most vulnerable communities in Africa have been particularly badly hit. Something that keynote speaker H.E. Dr. Philip Mpango, Vice President, Tanzania was quick to point out whilst paying tribute to the farmers who had overcome so many challenges in the last few years. He went on to speak about the measures taken within Tanzania that had positively impacted their agriculture sector. With so much of the continent reliant on agriculture for both food and their income it is the farming communities that are disproportionately impacted by these running crises. For the continent to thrive it is the smallholder farmers, pastoralists and fishers who need greater support so that they may act as the agents of change necessary to restore and improve livelihoods. He also raised the issue that the farming organizations were to ensure they were truly the voices of their members and not just nominally. To that end he exhorted his colleagues across the continent to encourage governments to ensure further funding to motivate women and the youth to get involved, to hear what they have to say on agriculture and develop the human resources that are being underused in the current systems.

Handing over to the other keynote speaker, the Chair of AGRF Partners Group and Former Prime Minister of Ethiopia, H.E. Hailemariam Dessalegn went on to discuss the need to diversify and focus on higher value crops and farming that will lead to greater returns and accelerate growth. Finishing, he spoke about the absolute necessity to be bold and innovative.  

A lively panel discussion followed with fascinating contributions covering a broad range of talking points including inclusivity, security, inequality and investment. It began with an acknowledgement of the diversity of gender and age represented by the panel and how that diversity needed to be reflected in the sector too, this quickly became a passionate plea for change, to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship, to engage with the young and sell the industry to them, ‘There’s money to be made playing with mud.’

Ms. Elizabeth Nsimadala, President, Eastern Africa Farmers Federation (EAFF) talked about the plight of smallholder farmers and frustration about how their lobbying work would stall due to politicians not acting as swiftly as they might, but moreover the wider challenges they have faced and continue to, ‘Smallholders are at the edge of social strife… desert locusts, Covid-19 and now the Ukraine crisis… and the elephants in the room, the markets.’  

‘If we want to move smallholders from subsistence farming we need to cultivate business skills and offer technological support’ these stages are absolutely necessary to ensure smallholders and women specifically can thrive and be marketable in this industry.

There was a continuous echo of the need to have and commission proper research to battle inequality and overcome the challenges, technological, unfair distribution within the supply chain and other issues without which there will continue to be a disconnect between farmers and politicians.

As the foremost forum for African agriculture, AGRF brings together the many stakeholders within agriculture, a view that was endorsed during the conversation, a unified approach that listened to its members, working collaboratively and creatively was the only way to ensure success. With both PAFO and AGRA leading the way we can ensure we are harvesting the views of the farmers, and farming organizations and even those from outside of the industry who may have something to offer, to proactively contribute their lived experiences, their informal, anecdotal research and go on to help shape political discourse to ensure a brighter future not just for those working in agriculture but for the continent of Africa itself.

A fascinating forum was brought to a close with the key takeaways being that governments have a responsibility to support the industry with investment and research and that farmers have a responsibility to make sure that they are at the heart of driving policy and making the sector attractive to the next generation.

Sep 6, 2022 | Blog

AGRF 2022 Officially Launched in Kigali, Rwanda

The 2022 AGRF Summit, in Kigali Rwanda, was officially opened on Tuesday September 6, during a session attended by leaders in Africa’s agriculture and food systems.  

The AGRF is the world’s premier forum for African agriculture, bringing together stakeholders in the agricultural landscape to take practical actions and share lessons that will move African agriculture forward.

This year’s edition marks a return to in-person attendance following a two-year break brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Under the theme Grow. Nourish. Reward – Bold Actions for Resilient Food Systems, participants, including heads of state, ministers of agriculture, leaders of development organizations, the scientific community, and private sector investors, will for four days engage in conversation and deals intended at driving an inclusive and sustainable agricultural transformation in Africa.

Rwanda’s Prime Minister, the Right Honorable Dr. Édouard Ngirente, officially opened the summit with an appeal for collaboration between Africa’s different stakeholders in fast-tracking Africa’s food system transformation.

Citing the successful launch of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Hon. Ngirente, urged leaders to view food system transformation as a key foundation of the continent’s economic growth.

“We have seen bold actions at the continental level, with our heads of state and government coming together to form the AfCFTA … we now need to leverage such mechanisms to ensure that we are better able to meet our food security needs,” he said.

“African countries need to fully commit to driving a comprehensive agriculture transformation as a key foundation of our economic growth,” he added.

His sentiments were echoed by H.E. Hailemariam Dessalegn, the former Prime Minister of Ethiopia and current board chair of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), who reiterated that Africa’s future well being is dependent on today’s actions.

“A food systems transformation is key to economic transformation … we need this now… anything short of this implies that Africa is likely to be the only hungry continent by 2030,” he said, while reiterating that quicker action is required to achieve the key sustainable development goals of ending hunger and poverty by 2030.

Rwanda’s agriculture minister Hon. Gerardine Mukeshimana added: “We need to come up with actionable plans to get us out of the present crises, but also to develop our resilience for future survival”

As part of the activities to drive the requisite food transformation, African countries were urged to invest in innovation technology, with Gambia’s agriculture Minister Hon. Dr. Demba Sally singling out investments in post-harvest handling as urgent.

“Most parts of West Africa have about 30% of their food going to waste…we must seriously invest in processing and marketing,” he said.

More areas of investment, noted AGRA President Dr. Agnes Kalibata, are contained in the food system pathways that countries committed to at the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit in New York.

The launch event culminated with the launch of the 2022 African Agriculture Status Report (AASR), whose theme is Accelerating African Food Systems Transformation.

| Press Release

The AGRF 2022 Summit kicks off in Kigali with a strong call for Bold Action for Africa’s food systems

The Summit will identify and define how African countries can translate commitments
into actionable strategies towards food security for all Africans.
Kigali September 6, 2022 – The 2022 AGRF Summit kicked off today in Kigali Rwanda, with a call for bold actions to accelerate efforts to end hunger across the continent especially in times of crises. Speaking during the official opening, Prime Minister of the Republic of Rwanda, Right Honourable Dr. Edouard Ngirente noted that the summit is an opportunity for the continent to build action and accelerate comprehensive transformation of food systems across Africa, “This summit has gathered the continent to shine the spotlight on how we can advance food systems transformation to ensure that it is inclusive, sustainable and resilient for the food security of all. It is time to build action for production and supply of food for households to meet their food needs,”.


The summit brings together over 2500 delegates including African presidents, agriculture ministers, private sector, development partners, civil society, and experts to Kigali, Rwanda. Hosted by the Government of Rwanda and the AGRF Partner’s Group, the Summit runs until Friday, 9th September under the theme ‘Grow. Nourish. Reward. Bold Actions for Resilient Food Systems’. Discussions will center around how Africa can successfully navigate the crises currently affecting the global food supply chain and ensure that African Governments can mobilize investment and accelerate commitments to deliver a food secure continent.

The summit intends to address bottlenecks hindering development of strong food systems while highlighting approaches and initiatives that have worked across different markets.

Rwanda’s president, H.E Paul Kagame will lead a presidential summit comprising of sitting and former African Heads of State to review the gains made in Africa’s agricultural landscape.


AGRA’s Board Chair, and Chair of the AGRF Partners Group and former Prime Minister of Ethiopia, H.E. Hailemariam Dessalegn noted that the summit comes as the continent grapples with challenges in global food supply and effects of the pandemic that have undone gains in efforts to end hunger and build food security.

“Food systems transformation is key to economic transformation. We need to take bold actions urgently, this calls for new, stronger, innovative and strategic leadership to ensure that food systems are more resilient,” H.E. Dessalegn added.

This year’s Summit will also include discussions around building strong foundations required to avert crises such as those currently witnessed with the rising cost of living for African people. These discussions will lay out visions of success as well as what is at stake for the people at this time of crisis, while emphasising the type of leadership and action needed to move forward with more resilient food systems.


AGRF partners and key stakeholders will also highlight initiatives and commitments to transform food systems and accelerate Africa’s delivery of the 2030 targets.


Some of the key highlights in this year’s AGRF 2022 Summit will include the Agribusiness Deal Room, a platform for connecting innovators with critically needed capital, the Presidential Summit, Farmers Forum, and a Youth Townhall.

Aug 22, 2022 | Blog

With eight years left to 2030, bold actions are required for Africa to feed herself

Promising progress is being made in Africa’s agricultural transformation. On my recent mission to Malawi, I witnessed the plans to create an Agricultural Transformation Agency in the country, a significant milestone in the journey towards fast-tracking transformation of the continent’s food systems.

This bold move by the government not only signifies commitment to take a holistic approach in dealing with hunger in the country, from the farm to the fork, but the creation of this body to coordinate different agencies’ efforts also sets a good example for the rest of the continent.

With eight years left towards the landmark 2030 when Africa, like the rest of the world, must have achieved the SDGs – notably the eradication of hunger, tackling food security will require global collaboration. It will require coordinated strategies, government commitment and large-scale action in mobilizing resources needed to unlock Africa’s ability to feed itself and the rest of the world.

In just over one month (Sept 5 – 9), leaders from Africa and the world, scientists and farmers will convene in Kigali, Rwanda for the AGRF Summit, which resumes In-person sessions after the last two years of the Covid pandemic, when a hybrid format was adopted.

Under the theme Grow, Nourish, Reward – Bold Actions for Resilient Food Systems, the summit will explore the action tracks that will accelerate food system transformation, especially after the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit, where over 30 African national pathways were charted, but which must now be turned into actionable strategies for the attainment of the Malabo, CAADP and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Currently, about 57.9 per cent of the people in Africa are under-nourished, according to the recently released State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2022, which also projects that hunger could increase, making Africa the region with the largest number of undernourished people. These statistics cannot be ignored, we need everyone to come to the table and find solutions. We all want better results, we are all interested in feeding our communities and economies that can thrive from agriculture and so we must challenge each other and keep each other accountable if we are to eradicate hunger.

Steps have already been taken by various stakeholders to deliver the innovations required to drive food system transformation, and these must be amplified for quicker impact. The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) has, for example, trained hundreds of seed scientists, who have released about 700 improved seed varieties for 18 different crops. Many of the commercialized varieties are of indigenous crops, which are already adapted to local conditions and have high nutrient values. 

This is in addition to the capacitating of other experts who understand the intricacies of soil nutrition and can provide the best management plans for tremendous crop yields. For meaningful impact, such expertise must be circulated around Africa through partnerships with governments, the private sector and farmers’ organizations.  

For agriculture to make sense, it must be viewed not just as a source of sustenance, but as a rewarding business. It is, therefore, important that we capitalize on the food trade opportunities enshrined in the African Continental Food Trade Area (AfCFTA) to create new markets for smallholder farmers, who on many occasions are forced to watch as their produce decays away for lack of local buyers.

Outside the continent, we must continue collaborating with like-minded partners in advancing solutions for global challenges like climate change, which requires diverse technical capacity and financial resources to address. 

These are some of the agenda items that will define the conversations in Kigali, where participants will come together to derive actionable strategies for a food system transformation built on ambition, action and partnership. Engagements at the summit will drive towards achieving climate action, promoting of innovation, advancing market development, and deriving the right formulas for nutritious diets.

In addition, there will be numerous investment opportunities presented by both the private sector and governments, including through the Agribusiness Deal Room, which last year alone registered commitments worth $12.5 billion. 

I am looking forward to exceptional outcomes from this year’s event, including detailed conversations on Africa’s response to climate change ahead of the 27th Conference of Parties (COP27), which takes place in Egypt later in the year.

I invite you to reconnect and regroup with us, as we define the practical steps needed to transform and advance Africa’s food systems at the AGRF 2022 Summit

-ENDS

The writer is the former Prime Minister of Ethiopia, and the current chairman of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA)  and the AGRF Partner’s Group.

Aug 3, 2022 | AGRF 2022 Summit voices

With eight years left to 2030, bold actions are required for Africa to feed herself

ARTICLE ORIGINALLY POSTED: Capital Ethiopia

By Hailemariam Dessalegn

Promising progress is being made in Africa’s agricultural transformation. On my recent mission to Malawi, I witnessed the plans to create an Agricultural Transformation Agency in the country, a significant milestone in the journey towards fast-tracking transformation of the continent’s food systems.
This bold move by the government not only signifies commitment to take a holistic approach in dealing with hunger in the country, from the farm to the fork, but the creation of this body to coordinate different agencies’ efforts also sets a good example for the rest of the continent.
With eight years left towards the landmark 2030 when Africa, like the rest of the world, must have achieved the SDGs – notably the eradication of hunger, tackling food security will require global collaboration. It will require coordinated strategies, government commitment and large-scale action in mobilizing resources needed to unlock Africa’s ability to feed itself and the rest of the world.
In just over one month (Sept 5 – 9), leaders from Africa and the world, scientists and farmers will convene in Kigali, Rwanda for the AGRF Summit, which resumes In-person sessions after the last two years of the Covid pandemic, when a hybrid format was adopted.
Under the theme Grow, Nourish, Reward Bold Actions for Resilient Food Systems, the summit will explore the action tracks that will accelerate food system transformation, especially after the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit, where over 30 African national pathways were charted, but which must now be turned into actionable strategies for the attainment of the Malabo, CAADP and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Currently, about 57.9 per cent of the people in Africa are under-nourished, according to the recently released State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2022, which also projects that hunger could increase, making Africa the region with the largest number of undernourished people. These statistics cannot be ignored, we need everyone to come to the table and find solutions. We all want better results, we are all interested in feeding our communities and economies that can thrive from agriculture and so we must challenge each other and keep each other accountable if we are to eradicate hunger.
Steps have already been taken by various stakeholders to deliver the innovations required to drive food system transformation, and these must be amplified for quicker impact. The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) has, for example, trained hundreds of seed scientists, who have released about 700 improved seed varieties for 18 different crops. Many of the commercialized varieties are of indigenous crops, which are already adapted to local conditions and have high nutrient values.
This is in addition to the capacitating of other experts who understand the intricacies of soil nutrition and can provide the best management plans for tremendous crop yields. For meaningful impact, such expertise must be circulated around Africa through partnerships with governments, the private sector and farmers’ organizations.
For agriculture to make sense, it must be viewed not just as a source of sustenance, but as a rewarding business. It is, therefore, important that we capitalize on the food trade opportunities enshrined in the African Continental Food Trade Area (AfCFTA) to create new markets for smallholder farmers, who on many occasions are forced to watch as their produce decays away for lack of local buyers.
Outside the continent, we must continue collaborating with like-minded partners in advancing solutions for global challenges like climate change, which requires diverse technical capacity and financial resources to address.
These are some of the agenda items that will define the conversations in Kigali, where participants will come together to derive actionable strategies for a food system transformation built on ambition, action and partnership. Engagements at the summit will drive towards achieving climate action, promoting of innovation, advancing market development, and deriving the right formulas for nutritious diets.
In addition, there will be numerous investment opportunities presented by both the private sector and governments, including through the Agribusiness Deal Room, which last year alone registered commitments worth $12.5 billion.
I am looking forward to exceptional outcomes from this year’s event, including detailed conversations on Africa’s response to climate change ahead of the 27th Conference of Parties (COP27), which takes place in Egypt later in the year.
I invite you to reconnect and regroup with us, as we define the practical steps needed to transform and advance Africa’s food systems at the AGRF 2022 Summit

The writer is the former Prime Minister of Ethiopia, and the current chairman of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and the AGRF Partner’s Group.

Jul 27, 2022 | Blog

Grow, Nourish, Reward – Bold Actions for Resilient Food Systems: AGRF 2022 theme explained

This is our time. Our time to connect, unite, seek catalytic solutions and take bold action, to build on commitments, and to tackle food insecurity.

For the AGRF 2022 Summit and beyond, we connect, unite, and act under the theme of Grow. Nourish. Reward. Bold actions for resilient food systems. What does this mean? It means that in order to translate the AGRF 2021 Summit commitments into actionable strategies and true progress for Africa’s agricultural and food systems, we must:

Grow

…grow the coordinated and large-scale action by stakeholders across multiple sectors, by mobilizing private and public investments to strengthen small and medium-sized businesses, youth entrepreneurship, and access to markets for smallholder farmers.

Trade and competitiveness are critical stimuli for continental economic recovery and growth. The implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in 2021, was an important milestone for African regional and international trade covering a market of more than 1.2 billion people and up to $3 trillion in combined GDP.  

AGRF 2022 is our time to build on this milestone on the journey to zero hunger, good health and wellbeing, industry, innovation and infrastructure, and the many other relevant and interconnected UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Nourish

…nourish innovations and cultivate country solutions across a continent that in 2020 was home to one in five people facing hunger – more than double the proportion of hungry people in any other region. In fact, the continent remains a net food importer at an annual cost of $43 billion.

The current African food systems are failing to deliver healthy diets to all and are one of the greatest challenges for climate and environmental sustainability.

Healthy diets demand a systems approach that acknowledges the central role and responsibility of food systems across the world, working together across other key systems to provide better diets for all, while also sustaining the planet for future generations.

To nourish Africa’s people, we must find the right formula to deliver nutritious food in an affordable and environmentally sustainable way.

Reward

…reward and recognize champions across the agricultural ecosystem and food system, by ensuring that they have a supportive environment, and celebrate country pathways, innovations, and initiatives that are actionable and scalable in delivering food systems transformation.

With more than half of the 375 million young people entering the African job market in the next 15 years set to be living in rural areas, the AGRF 2022 Summit will provide a laser focus on climate-smart jobs in the rural economy. Without this focus, youth will increasingly migrate to urban areas, increasing pressure to import food. It is imperative that we reward young people who choose a career in agriculture and who are part of the positive and sustainable transformation of Africa’s food systems.

How can you play your part in Africa’s food systems transformation?

From land to leadership, AGRF 2022 calls upon leaders from the private sector, national and local governments, youth, and other organizations to put forward bold actions that can play a key role in transforming how Africa produces and consumes food.

We look forward to welcoming you to the AGRF 2022 Summit, where we will build on the Common African Position for food systems and more than 30 national pathways for food systems transformation that exist across the continent. We will also be showcasing leadership from African countries that is taking these pathways to the next level.

Join us to get one step closer to food security for all by registering to attend the AGRF 2022 Summit, hosted in Kigali, Rwanda from 5th to 9th September, 2022: https://bit.ly/3azW8UP.

Mar 3, 2022 | Press Release

AGRF 2022 Summit to be held in Rwanda

With urgency growing to deliver on zero hunger, the summit will focus on innovative ways bold actions and commitments towards the continental food security agenda

Kigali, Rwanda, March 3, 2022— The AGRF, Africa’s premier forum for food and agriculture, has launched its 12th annual summit under the theme ‘Grow, Nourish and Reward – Bold Actions for Resilient Food systems’ to be held in Kigali Rwanda from September 5 to 9, 2022.

This year’s summit will call for accelerated action by leaders, innovators, businesses, private institutions, civil society, and development agencies to put forward bold actions and unite efforts towards the continental food security agenda

Recognizing the urgency to deliver on the Malabo commitments and the sustainable development goals (SDGs), the AGRF 2022 summit will spotlight the ongoing efforts and country-led actions that can be scaled up towards food systems that deliver for the people, planet, and prosperity.

Speaking during the launch event, the Right Honourable Dr. Edouard Ngirente, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Rwanda reiterated Rwanda’s confidence in the AGRF 2022 to come up with a sustainable solution to the food system issue on the African continent.

“Rwanda is confident that the AGRF 2022 Summit will come up with concrete actions that can build sustainable and resilient food systems to feed nearly 256 million reportedly suffering from severe food insecurity on the African continent. Commodities such as beef, grain wheat, sugar, rice and soybeans that Africa has been importing, can be better produced on the continent if we implement the right
policies.”

The Prime Minister of Rwanda welcomed delegates from across the continent and beyond to participate and contribute to the AGRF 2022 Summit.

H.E. Hailemariam Dessalegn, the former Prime Minister of Ethiopia and the AGRF Chair said that while African leaders have shown commitment to support food systems transformation, collective action will be needed to accelerate progress and real change.

“No country is healthy unless food and livelihoods are healthy. Delivering for the planet, people, and prosperity will require collective efforts from all sectors. However, African governments should lead these efforts by prioritising and integrating policies that address multiple objectives including those that call for healthy and nutritious diets, decent income for the farmers and policies that address climate and other
environmental fragilities.”

He added that as Africa builds back from the effects of the pandemic, leaders should ensure the pace lost in agriculture and food systems transformation is picked up to ensure the wholesome growth of people across the continent.

The AGRF 2022 Summit will be hosted by the Government of Rwanda and the AGRF Partner’s Group, the Summit comes at a pivotal time, a crossroads in Africa’s recovery and progress towards the deadline for zero hunger by 2030.

Some of the key highlights at this year’s AGRF 2022 Summit will include the Agribusiness Deal Room, a platform for connecting innovators with critically needed capital, the Presidential Summit, Farmers Forum, and a Youth Townhall.

For Media inquiries, contact:
Eugene Kwibuka, ekwibuka@minagri.gov.rw
/ +250 788490241
AGRF Hudson Sandler, agrf@hudsonsandler.com/ Tel +254 703 516 173/ +250
788384065

About the AGRF
The AGRF is the world’s premier forum for African agriculture, bringing together
stakeholders in the agricultural landscape to take practical actions and share lessons
that will move African agriculture forward. Under AGRF’s current strategy, the Forum
is particularly focused on driving progress of the Malabo Declaration by 2025 as the
priority set of commitments African Heads of State and Government have made to
strengthen agricultural development at the center of the continent’s overall
development and progress. The AGRF is organised by the AGRF Partners Group, a
coalition of institutions that care about Africa’s agriculture
transformation. https://agrf.org/

About the AGRF Partner’s Group
The AGRF Partners Group is made up of 26 leading actors in African agriculture all
focused on putting farmers at the center of the continent’s growing economies.
Members include: African Development Bank (AfDB), African Fertilizer and
Agribusiness Partnership (AFAP), African Union Commission (AUC), Alliance for a
Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), Bayer AG, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Centre
for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), CGIAR System Organization, Corteva
Agriscience, Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Foreign,
Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition
(GAIN), Government of Rwanda, Grow Africa (AUDA-NEPAD), Heifer International,
IKEA Foundation, International Development Research Center (IDRC), International
Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Mastercard Foundation, OCP Group,
Rockefeller Foundation, Southern African Confederation of Agricultural Unions
(SACAU), Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH), Syngenta Foundation, The Tony Blair
Institute, UPL Limited, US Agency for International Development (USAID), Yara
International ASA.

Sep 15, 2021 | Press Release

Agriculture stakeholders commit to holistic, inclusive approach to transforming African food systems

Delegates attending AGRF 2021 Summit from across the agriculture ecosystem on the continent rally support

NAIROBI, Kenya, September 14, 2021: Leaders from across Africa renewed their commitment to adopt a more holistic and inclusive approach to food systems in Africa to better tackle hunger and poverty and improve nutrition while conserving natural resources.

The declaration was made at the conclusion of the 2021 AGRF Summit, which convened more than 8,000 delegates from 103 countries, including six African Heads of State, 20 ministers, global business leaders, farmers, private agribusiness firms, financial institutions, non-governmental organizations, civil society groups, scientists, and international development partners.

Delegates called for a change in the way food is produced, processed, marketed and consumed in Africa and for reduction of food waste. Solutions they advised/proposed included boosting smallholder farmer productivity, investment in agribusinesses alongside access for all to safe and nutritious food.

“We know that a failure to change will make it impossible to achieve the key sustainable development goal of ending hunger by 2030.  Hunger and poverty in Africa can only end with resilient food systems,” the delegates stated in a declaration.

Speaking during the closing ceremony, former Prime Minister of Ethiopia and Board Chair of AGRA (Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa), H.E. Hailemariam Dessalegn said: “This is a turning point in Africa’s agriculture. We should do things differently by taking a more integrated approach to food systems. It begins with agriculture but goes right through the business of food until it ends on our plate and in our trash.  In recognising importance of food systems and how they can drive economic growth, we must take a holistic sustainable agricultural transformation, thinking the whole way from production to consumption.”

H.E. Dessalegn added: “The task of transforming our food systems is for all of us. If we all do our bit, we will make it”.

Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives, Peter Munya said: “The summit has helped us to recommit to the goals we set for ourselves as a continent, and individual countries, to end hunger by 2030. It is possible to deliver this because we have the resources, experience and knowledge and are mobilising the will. We need to support the young people of Africa to get involved in agriculture because there is no future without them.”

Coming ahead of the UN Food Systems Summit, the AGRF 2021 Summit provided an opportunity to elevate Africa’s common position, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the African Union’s Agenda 2063. This included enhancing the resilience of Africa’s food system from external shocks, its fragility having been exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr Agnes Kalibata, AGRA’s President said: “The wide representation and participation at the summit has helped clarify Africa’s position on food systems transformation.  The summit showed that we know how to reduce hunger and malnutrition and tackle obesity, but we can only do this by working  together. We need to double down and come together to fix our broken food systems and meet the [SDG} goal of zero hunger by 2030.  It is only by working together that we can help deliver food security and prosperity for people and our planet!”

The AGRF 2021 Summit, whose theme was ‘Pathways to Recovery and Resilient Food Systems’, had over 700 speakers. The summit featured commitments on renewable energy, youth and women empowerment, and establishment of value chains.

It also led to the building of the emerging coalition of action for Decent Work and Living Incomes and the 43 game changing solutions, representing a coordinated African voice, that are being taken to the UNFSS.

The summit gathered consensus on the role of youth and women, as well as innovative technology to revitalise agricultural productivity and support farmers to build back better from effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, to feed the growing population.

During the summit, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) was named 2021 Africa Food Prize laureate, for its work in improving food security across 13 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The Africa Agriculture Status Report 2021 was also launched, indicating that sub-Saharan Africa has had the fastest growth in agricultural production since 2000.

Jennifer Baarn, Acting Managing Director at the AGRF reaffirmed the forum’s commitment to advancing the actions towards 2030 to help identify pathways towards sustainable food systems in the continent. “We will be taking all the threads of prosperity, people and planet that have run through this summit and thinking about how that shapes our future work,” she said.

About AGRF 

The AGRF is the world’s premier forum for African agriculture, bringing together stakeholders in the agricultural landscape to take practical actions and share lessons that will move African agriculture forward. Under AGRF’s current strategy, the Forum is particularly focused on driving progress of the Malabo Declaration by 2025 as the priority set of commitments African Heads of State and Government have made to strengthen agricultural development at the center of the continent’s overall development and progress. The AGRF is organised by the AGRF Partners Group, a coalition of institutions that care about Africa’s agriculture transformation.   For more Information: https://agrf.org/ or contact agrf-media@hudsonsandler.com

About the AGRF Partner’s Group

The AGRF Partners Group is made up of 26 leading actors in African agriculture all focused on putting farmers at the center of the continent’s growing economies. Members include: African Development Bank (AfDB), African Fertilizer and Agribusiness Partnership (AFAP), African Union Commission (AUC), Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), Bayer AG, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), CGIAR System Organization, Corteva Agriscience, Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), Government of Rwanda, Grow Africa (AUDA-NEPAD), Heifer International, IKEA Foundation, International Development Research Center (IDRC), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Mastercard Foundation, OCP Group, Rockefeller Foundation, Southern African Confederation of Agricultural Unions (SACAU), Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH), Syngenta Foundation, The Tony Blair Institute, UPL Limited, US Agency for International Development (USAID), Yara International ASA