AGRF stakeholders call for strong leadership as Africa sets vision for future of food systems

Nairobi, Kenya, July 8, 2021 – A line of 500 guests, including governments, the private sector, youth, women leaders and farmers’ organizations, will meet in Nairobi, Kenya, September 6-10 for the AGRF 2021 Summit under the leadership of HE Uhuru Kenyatta. They are expected to be joined virtually by more than 10,000 delegates from over 150 countries for the Summit, which will focus on accelerating progress towards developing resilient food systems on the continent.

Under the theme of Pathways to recovery and resilient food systems, this year’s AGRF Summit will highlight new commitments for the future of African food systems and show how resilience will be built from leadership at all levels.

The Summit will place particular emphasis on the role of women and youth in transforming African food systems, the various issues facing these groups are expected to dominate discussions at the First Ladies’ Forum and the Youth Hall respectively.

Former Ethiopian Prime Minister and AGRF Board Chairman HE Hailemariam Dessalegn said he was inspired to see African leaders make agriculture a priority, but noted the need to do much more.

“Now more than ever, we must prioritize inclusive agricultural transformation. We need to work together to ensure that politics, technology and finance meet the needs of our farmers. This is essential to achieve the goal of zero hunger on the continent and around the world. SEM Dessalegn added.

Co-hosted with the Government of Kenya, with the support of 26 partner institutions, this year’s Summit comes at a pivotal time when global voices come together at the Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) to shift the conversation to how food is produced and consumed and the role it plays in supporting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

As part of its contribution to the UNFSS, the AGRF 2021 Summit aims to raise the single and coordinated African voice, identifying immediate actions and steps to be taken to accelerate progress towards the development of resilient food systems.

Representing the host government, the Kenyan Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives, the Hon. Peter Munya, said the conversation at AGRF needs to extend beyond agriculture and consider the farm-to-fork food system.

“We need to change the way we approach and prioritize food systems on the continent. We can no longer limit on-farm food systems. Our approach must reflect the complexity and importance of food systems and the value of working together, as governments, private sector, development partners and consumers, to deliver more inclusive and resilient food systems on the continent ”, a- he declared.

COVID-19 has highlighted the fragility of the continent’s food systems. Closures, curfews and disease have exposed supply threats across Africa, and the pandemic has been another example of the need to build more resilient food systems on the continent. Since 2014, droughts have cost the region $ 372 billion. While the worst locust plague in a generation in Ethiopia and Somalia in 2019/20 destroyed more than 356,000 tonnes of grains and nearly 1.5 million hectares of crops and pastures in Ethiopia.

The AGRF 2021 Summit will provide a platform for all stakeholders to align with the actions and commitments needed to build resilient food systems that end hunger and support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Jennifer Baarn, acting CEO of AGRF, said the AGRF 2021 Summit is a watershed moment for African food systems. “It’s time for us to create our own vision for African food systems,” she said. It is time for us to listen, innovate, plan and invest for Africa. What we invest in African agriculture today will determine the future of food in Africa and in the world of tomorrow, ”she added.

Some of the highlights of this year’s AGRF 2021 Summit will include the Agribusiness Deal Room, a platform connecting entrepreneurs and governments with investors. This year, the trading room aims to showcase a $ 5 billion pipeline of investment opportunities across Africa. The Summit will also include the African Food Prize, a presidential summit and a ministerial roundtable.

This year’s launch attracted, among other dignitaries, the Hon. Gerardine Mukeshimana, Minister, Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources, Rwanda, and Hon. Salifou Ouedraogo, Minister of Agriculture, Bukina Faso. He was also honored by David Nabarro, special envoy on Covid-19 for the World Health Organization; Godfrey Bahigwa, Director of Rural Economy and Agriculture at the African Union Commission, among other guests.

By Maxwell Awumah