African Green Revolution Conference (5)

 5 - 9 September 2022. Kigali Rwanda AGRF 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’

See: main programme

9 September Markets and Livelihoods

09/09 Food Innovation Hubs: Taking Innovation to Scale

Innovation is critical to food systems transformation: Innovations in technology, climate mitigation and
adaptation, inputs, alternative proteins and business models across the agricultural value chain 

abound. Yet many fail to go to scale, reflecting the systemic nature of agricultural value chains and 

food systems. This session looked at some of the common barriers to scale and discussed the role of 

innovation incubators, hubs and other models for knowledge sharing and scaling of innovation. 

• Moderator: Mr. Sean de Cleene, Member of the Executive Committee, Head of the Future of Food, World Economic Forum 
• Opening Remarks: Hon. Mariam Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, United Arab Emirates and Co-Lead, Food Innovation Hubs 

Firestarter remarks: Challenges to scale 

• Mr. Kees Aarts, Founder and CEO, Protix 
• Mr. Claude Munyangabo, CEO, BK Techouse 
• Ms. Anna Marie Silvester, Innovation Team Lead, Microsoft 
• Mr. Akintunde Akinwande, Head of Digital and Business Development Nigeria, Middle Africa, OCP Africa 
• Mr. Kunal Prasad, Co-Founder, Cropin Technology 

Panel Discussion: Building Eco-systems for Scale 

• Mr. Eugene Kandel, CEO, Start Up Nation Central 
• Ms. Tesi Rusagara, Managing Director, Kigali Innovation City, Rwanda 
• Mr. Mehrdad Ehsani, Vice President for the Food Initiative in Africa, The Rockefeller Foundation 
• Mr. Jonathan First, Consultant, Climate Policy Initiative 
• Mr. Jeremie Pige, Head of IGNITE – WFP Innovation Hub for Eastern Africa 
• Ms. Amandla Ooko-Ombaka, Economist and Associate Partner, McKinsey 
• Mr. Parmesh Shah, Global Lead for Rural Livelihoods and Agricultural Jobs, World Bank

Closing Remarks and Special Announcement 

• Hon. Gerardine Mukeshimana, Minister of Agriculture & Animal Resources Rwanda
• H.E. Amb. Ertharin Cousin, Founder and CEO, Food Systems for the Future and Former Executive Director, WFP 
• Hon. Pudence Rubingisa, Mayor, City of Kigali, Rwanda

09/09 The role milk, meat, and eggs play in sustainable food systems transformation 

This session looked at specific cases of livestock contributions to food systems transformation and drew out lessons learned in transforming the sector.

• Moderator: Ms. Shirley Tarawali, Assistant DG, ILRI and Global Agenda for Sustainable Livestock (GASL) 
• Ms. Adesuwa Ifedi, Vice President, Africa Heifer International 
• Dr. Iain Wright, Deputy DG, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) - Keynote Remarks

Four ‘rapid-fire’ case presentations with a focus on different aspects of food systems transformation: environment/climate, gender/youth, region, and value chain diversity    

Panel Discussion: 

• Hon. Minister of Agriculture, Chad 
• Ms. Emma Naluyima, Smallholder Farmer, Uganda 
• Mr. Ishmael Sunga, CEO, Southern African Confederation of Agricultural Unions (SACAU)  
• Mr. Faustin Mbundu Kananura, Executive Chairman, MFK Group Rwanda 
• Mr. Ekko Oosterhuis, Managing Director, Silverlands Tanzania ltd. 
• Mr. Gbola Adesogan, Director, Food Systems Institute, Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Livestock Systems 
• Mr. Geoffrey Kirenga, CEO, SAGCOT Centre 
• Ms. Elizabeth Swai, CEO and Founder, AKM Glitters Company Limited 

09/09 Accelerating Youth Employment in Food Systems and Agriculture

Generation Africa has designed a youth in Ag Ecosystem development framework through Generation Africa. The tool will ensure that Governments are able to coordinate collaborative actions from different actors to focus on creating an enabling environment that will ensure the youth are accounted for in the development and inclusion.

• Moderator: Mr. Simon Winter, Executive Director, Syngenta Foundation  
• Mr. Dickson Naftali, Head, Generation Africa 
• Hon. Rosemary Mbabazi, Minister of Youth and Culture, Rwanda - Keynote remarks – Rwanda’s Perspective
• Mr. Henry Lagat, Associate Partnership Officer, Generation Africa - Presentation of Youth Employment Development Framework  

Panel Discussion: 

• Hon. Moussa Baldé, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Equipment, Senegal 
• Dr. Donal Brown, Associate Vice President, Programme Management, IFAD 
• Ms. Maureen Muketha, Youth Leader, #Act4Food #Act4Change 
• Ms. Oluwaseun Sangoleye, CEO, Baby Grubz 
• Mr. Daniel Hailu, Regional Director, Eastern and Southern Africa, Mastercard Foundation  
• Mr. Pascal Murasira, Managing Director - East Africa, Norrsken Foundation 
• Mr. Amadou Fall, IT specialist and Technical lead on 1000 Digital Villages initiative in Senegal, FAO 
• Mr. Simon O'Connell, CEO, SNV 
• Ms. Jane Lowicki-Zucca, Senior Youth Advisor, USAID 
• Mr. Edson Mpyisi, Chief Financial Economist, Coordinator ENABLE Youth Programme, AfDB 
• Ms. Subhashini Chandran, Head of Social Impact, Africa & Asia, YARA 
• Ms. Betty Kiplagat, Government Affairs Leader, Africa & the Middle East, Corteva 
• Ms. Almas Jiwani, President of Emeritus UN Women Canada NC and CEO of Almas Jiwani Foundation 

09/09  True Value of Food

This session unpacked the critical role of food in development, highlighting new ways to think about food and food markets, the impact of subsidies and buying cartels, alongside strategies for resilience, sustainability, access, inclusion and organisation in food systems.

• Moderator:  Mr. Roy Steiner, Senior Vice President, Rockefeller Foundation  
• Mr. Peter Bakker, CEO, World Business Council for Sustainable Development - Keynote Remarks – The True Value of Food in Africa 

Panel Discussion: 

• Mr. Biendi Maganga-Moussavou, Former Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food, Gabon 
• Hon. Dr Jeanne d'Arc Mujawamariya, Minister of Environment, Rwanda 
• Dr. Lawrence Haddad, Executive Director, GAIN 
• Prof. Sheryl Hendricks, Head of Department and Professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics, Extension, and Rural Development, University of Pretoria, South Africa  
• Mr. Tabi Joda, Expert in Local Communities' Ecosystems Resilience 
• Mr. Ben Valk, Global Head Food and Agri Partnerships, Rabobank 
• Ms. Helena Leurent, Director General, Consumers International 
• Ms. Cynthia Samuel-Olonjuwon, Assistant Director-General and Regional Director for Africa, International Labour Organization (ILO)  
• Ms. Belinda Bwiza, Rwanda Deputy Country Director, One Acre Fund 
• Mr. Francois Nsengiyumva, Managing Director and CEO, Kilimo General Business Ltd 
• Mr. Omid Kassiri, Managing Partner, East Africa, McKinsey 
• Mr. Amar Ali, President, Africa Region, Royal DSM 

09/09 Finance Risk-Return Trade Off

The overall objective of the session was to discuss the risk – return trade off that informs the decision
to invest, the cost of finance and sector allocation.

• Ms. Diane Karusisi, CEO, Bank of Kigali 
• Ms. Hong Thuy-Patterson, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operations Officer, Green Climate Fund 
• Mr. Jules Ngankam, CEO, Africa Guarantee Fund 
• Mr. Ibrahima Cheikh-Diong, UN-ASG and Director-General, Africa Risk Capacity Group  
• Mr. Yosuke Kotsuji, Acting Manager of Agribusiness and Forestry, IFC Africa 
• Ms. Samirah Ade-Adebiyi, Managing Director, AFEX Investments (AFIL) 
• Mr. Jerry Parkes, CEO, Injaro Investments 
• Mr. Birama Sidibe, CEO, Interface 
• Ms. Atsuko Toda, Director Agricultural Finance and Rural Infrastructure, AfDB 
• Mr. Ben Valk, Global Head Food and Agri Partnerships, Rabobank 
• Ms. Dianah Mukundwa, Head of Investment and Social Impact, Equity Bank (Rwanda) 
• Dr. Jack Kayonga, CEO, Crystal Venture Ltd