Agrifood Systems Transformation in Africa: Achievements, Partnerships and Opportunities

7 May 2025. FAO high-level event on Agrifood Systems transformation, sharing reflections on the role
of African diaspora CSOs.

Participants explored successful examples of working towards food security, healthy diets, and climate resilience while identifying opportunities for future collaboration.

• Mr. Abebe Haile-Gabriel, FAO’s Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Africa, 
• 
  Koen Dekeyser, Policy Officer, ECDPM
• Guggi Laryea, IFAD Representative to the EU
• Thibault Christeler, Public Affairs Officer at EU-Africa Chamber of Commerce
  
• Maureen Duru, CEO, FoodBridge
• H.E. Henry Tachie-Menson, Ambassador of the Republic of Ghana to the Kingdom of Belgium and the European Union

Extract from Maureen Duru, CEO, FoodBridge

"Our projects range from empowering African diaspora agrofood entrepreneurs in Europe, Africa, to working with rural farmers in Nigeria and Ghana on conservation and growing indigenous African food crops and plants. Currently we are helping coordinate the GFAIR collective action on forgotten foods and this may not have been possible, if we did not get recognized and supported along the way by development organizations, sponsors and organizations.

CSOs must be recognized as co-creators and not just delivery partners, who are sidelined during the planning, development and even dialogues. It is not enough to be in global and regional coalitions, dialogues, our input should also be reflected; validated and included in outputs/reports from such meetings. So having dedicated financial and other mechanism to support CSOs is important. Donors and development agencies are not very comfortable with funding small to medium CSOs. The preference is for those that have huge budgets and are able to manage huge amounts. That is understandable but detrimental to the change we all want because you need those smaller organizations to achieve results that meet the needs of communities. They may not be able to handle huge sums but a manageable budget line that benefit them can be helpful.

We need a plan that makes funding accessible; directly or indirectly; in a flexible way, so we can also innovate, adapt, and scale. It can be a challenge to big organizations to understand , how an entity can work, when they have no guaranteed source or support. It takes dedication to do what many CSOs are doing. Transforming Africa’s agrifood systems means shifting the focus from cash crops to indigenous African food, reclaiming our food heritage, empowering our people, and streghtening our communities. we must do together—with governments, private sector, scientists, and most importantly, the communities and CSOs working together to rebuild the foundations of the African food system"