The Africa Food Systems Forum 2023 Summit will take place in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania from September 5-8, 2023, under the theme: “Recover, Regenerate, Act: Africa’s Solutions to Food Systems Transformation.”

Recover, Regenerate, Act focuses on recovering food systems after multiple shocks with youth and women at the center; regenerating food systems by restoring natural capital through adaptation, innovation, and technological innovations for a changing climate; and acting through improved investments and policy implementation.

The summit will highlight the political, policy and financial commitments and progress made by leading policymakers and researchers on the continent. Sessions will cover and explore current and future efforts necessary to achieve productive, nutritious, inclusive, sustainable and resilient food systems in Africa. By energizing political will and advancing policy and investment efforts towards sustainable agricultural transformation, AGRF strives to fulfil the goals outlined in the AU Malabo Declaration on Accelerated Agricultural Growth, Africa’s Agenda 2063, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

CIMMYT will participate in the summit and add value as a significant thought leader in agrifood systems and a catalyst in food systems transformation. CIMMYT researchers and practitioners will participate in the following events (all times are in East Africa Time):

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Day 0: Monday, September 4, 2023 | Side events: Diversity and inclusion 

Merged event: Defining Africa’s Fertilizer and Soil Health Vision

2 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

This side event will be an important moment to address and chart the way forward for Africa’s soil health and fertilizer needs. Declining soil health is a major challenge for the continent, and greatly affects its agricultural productivity. In the face of climate change, degraded soils (rampant soil erosion, salinization, acidification, declined fertility), global supply chain disruptions, and a growing population that needs to be food secure, addressing these soil health challenges is a key priority in Africa’s Food Systems transformation. This event will bring together actors in soil health and fertilizer to share their experiences and highlight what is working for the continent and provide practical solutions and recommendations around proven technologies for soil fertility management, acid soils management, landscape management, as well as those related to building the resilience of stakeholders and facilitating access to financial solutions. The outcomes of the event will be shared to the African Union’s Fertilizer and Soil Health (AFSH) Summit to be held in October and beyond the summit, to inform the implementation of the 10- years action plan.

Panelists – 

Tilahun Amede, Head of Resilience, Climate and Soil Fertility, AGRA

Mwatima Juma, Chairperson, Tanzania Organic Agriculture Movement (TOAM)

Sieg Snapp, Sustainable Agrifood Systems (SAS) Program director, CIMMYT

Geoffrey Kirenga, CEO, SAGCOT (Tanzania)

Jason Scarpone, Director, Sustainability, International Raw Materials

Leigh-Ann Winowiecki, Global Research leader, Soil and Land Health CIFOR-ICRAF/ Co-lead, Coalition of Action 4 Soil Health (CA4SH)

Theme 4: Defining Africa’s Fertilizer and Soil Health Vision/Rehabilitating acid soils for food security – led by AGRA, CIMMYT

Expert: Shamie Zingore, APNI

Intervener(s) – 

Samuel Gameda, Soil scientist, Sustainable Agrifood Systems (SAS) Program, CIMMYT

Teresia Numbi, Dodoma Cement

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Day 2: Wednesday, September 6, 2023 | Regenerate

Partner Event: Building the evidence base for regenerative agriculture transitions

7 – 9 a.m. | Organizers: The Rockefeller Foundation, CIMMYT

This session puts farmers at the center of the regenerative agriculture transition. What are the learnings globally about regenerative outcomes frameworks and actual transition experiences? And in sub-Saharan African landscapes? What are the evidence gaps? What intended impacts should we focus on? Which robust, stakeholder-inclusive, low-cost multi-year evidencing approaches work? How can we de-risk the transition for farmers who are confronting unprecedented challenges? What will it take for a critical mass of African farmers and value chains to transition to regenerative approaches to food production? International and national agricultural scientists, farmers, policymakers, and mission-driven funders discuss.

Moderator: Bram Govaerts, director general of CIMMYT

Panelists – 

Hambulo Ngoma, Agricultural economist, CIMMYT

Sieg Snapp, Sustainable Agrifood Systems (SAS) Program director, CIMMYT

Peggy Mlewa, Director, Planning and Policy, Ministry of Agriculture, Zambia

Roy Steiner, Senior vice-president, Food Initiative, The Rockefeller Foundation

Alex Awiti, Senior Agroecology and Policy and Advocacy advisor, World Agroforestry

Mwanakhamis Ramadhan Hassan, Farmer, Zanzibar

Program & Innovation: Regenerative Agriculture and Resilient Food Systems

5 – 6:30 p.m.

We will explore in this session the urgent need to build resilient food systems in the face of global challenges such as climate change and environmental degradation. Delve into the key principles and practices of regenerative agriculture, a powerful approach that promotes sustainability, resilience, and food security. Engage with farmers, researchers, and practitioners at the forefront of this field as they share their expertise and success stories. What innovative strategies and solutions can enhance the resilience of African food systems?

Keynote speaker: Simeon Ehui, director general, International Institute of Tropical
Agriculture (IITA) and Regional director for Continental Africa, CGIAR

Panelists discussion 2 – 

Ada Osakwe, Managing partner, Agrolay Ventures, AGRA Board
Member, & Youth Ambassador Generation Africa

Betty Kibara, Director, Food Initiative, The Rockefeller Foundation

Hazel Awino, CEO, Agri Innovation Hub, Kenya

John Ellenberger, SVP Venture 37, Land O’Lakes, USA

Adam Gerstenmier, Executive director, Food Action Alliance

Marilia Bezerra, Chief Programmes officer, IKEA Foundation

Nancy Rapando, Africa’s Food Future Initiative lead, WWF

Sieg Snapp, Sustainable Agrifood Systems (SAS) Program director, CIMMYT

Apollo Owuor, Coordinator, COMESA – East Africa Horticultural Accelerator

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Day 3: Thursday, September 7, 2023 | Act-Food Systems Pathways

Policy symposium: Transforming African Food Systems to Cope with Climate Change

9 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

This symposium will focus on the urgent need to transform African food systems to cope with the challenges posed by climate change. Join us as we explore innovative policies, practices, and technologies that promote climate-resilient agriculture, enhance adaptation and mitigation strategies, and ensure food security in the face of changing climatic conditions. Engage with experts, policymakers, and researchers as they share their experiences and insights on harnessing climate data, indigenous knowledge, and
technological innovations to build resilient agricultural systems. Together, we will identify policy pathways and investments needed to transform African food systems, promote sustainable livelihoods and safeguard the well-being of vulnerable communities in the region.

Panelists discussion 1  – 

Ismael Sombie, Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources, People’s Republic of Burkina Faso

Bram Govaerts, director general of CIMMYT

George Bigirwa, Head of Seed Systems Development, AGRA

Edward Mabaya, Research professor and director of Humphrey Fellowship Program, Department of Global Development, Cornell University

Fikru Regassa, Minister of Agriculture, Republic of Ethiopia

Vivian Onano, Founder/director at Leading Light Initiative

Stefan Schmitz, Executive director, Global Crop Diversity Trust

Peter Veal, Head of sub-Saharan Africa, Syngenta

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Learn more about the venue and the full program: Home – AGRF Summit 2023