The Netherlands Food Partnership at AFSF 2026: Connecting Dutch Expertise with Africa’s Food Systems Transformation

31 August to 4 September 2026. AFS Kigali. For the Netherlands Food Partnership (NFP), the Forum was an opportunity to demonstrate that Dutch engagement in African food systems is not about a single technology, sector or organisation. Rather, it is about building partnerships across agriculture, nutrition, energy, research, entrepreneurship, finance and policy.

NFP brought together Dutch organisations and partners around a shared presence at the Forum, while also supporting several partnerships and sessions addressing some of the most pressing challenges facing Africa’s food systems.

A Dutch Pavilion built around partnership

One of the most visible elements of the Dutch presence was the Dutch Pavilion, hosted by the Netherlands Food Partnership. NFP brought together 17 members of its network at the booth, creating a shared space where organisations could present their work, meet African and international partners, exchange experiences and explore new collaborations.

The pavilion reflected the diversity of Dutch engagement in African food systems. Among those represented were organisations working on farmer livelihoods and value chains, climate resilience, nutrition, youth entrepreneurship, research and innovation.

• Dorcas, for example, used the pavilion to showcase its work on climate-resilient agriculture, farmer field schools and value-chain development in East Africa. Its representatives highlighted experience from Tanzania and Kenya, including work around the PIP approach, farmer field schools and the honey value chain.
• Access to Nutrition Initiative (ATNi) was also represented through the Dutch booth, with Katherine Pittore participating on behalf of the Netherlands Working Group on international
  Nutrition. ATNi's broader engagement at the Forum focused on healthy diets, consumer demand and the food environment.
• ProVeg International was another partner present at the Dutch Pavilion, bringing perspectives on plant-rich diets and protein diversification and linking these issues to healthier and more resilient African food systems.

The pavilion therefore served as more than an exhibition stand. It became a meeting point for organisations that approach food-system transformation from different entry points but share an interest in practical, locally relevant solutions.

Putting youth entrepreneurship at the centre

A major NFP-supported event during the Forum was the session “Scaling the Youth Enterprises Ecosystem,” held on 2 September at the Youth Dome. The session was jointly organised by SNV, FAO, AGRA, Netherlands Food Partnership and Wageningen University & Research Student Challenges, with NFP's Bente Meindertsma helping to facilitate the discussion. The central question was : what does it take to help youth-led enterprises move from incubation to scale?

The discussion explored the importance of education, skills, networks, market opportunities and enabling ecosystems. Rather than treating young people simply as beneficiaries of food-system programmes, the session focused on young people as entrepreneurs, innovators and economic actors.

The involvement of East-West Seed Knowledge Transfer Foundation added a practical smallholder perspective. Elijah Mwashayenyi, Head of Knowledge Transfer for Africa, participated in the panel discussing how youth enterprises can scale across different country contexts.

Turning food-system plans into action

NFP joined FAO, GAIN, AGRA, AKADEMIYA2063, GIZ, Expertise France, the Scaling Up Nutrition Movement and the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub, among others, in a side event examining how national food-system plans can be translated into practical action. The discussion focused on the practical challenges governments face when moving from strategy to implementation, including the need for stronger coordination, partnerships and investment.

A session convened under the Accelerator framework brought together government representatives, development partners and international financial institutions to consider how implementation gaps can be addressed.

Connecting food systems with clean energy

Another major area of NFP engagement was the Agri-Energy Coalition, which brings together partners working at the intersection of energy, agriculture, water, nutrition, climate and finance. The Coalition had a dedicated exhibition booth, side events, deal-room activities, Innovation Hub sessions and networking events. NFP was among the Coalition partners. The Coalition brought together organisations including GOGLA, SNV, AGRA, GAIN, Wageningen University & Research, IWMI, Practical Action, REEEP, the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, Welthungerhilfe, IKEA Foundation, Acumen, BASE, Partners in Food Solutions, Helen Keller International and others.

Energy is not a peripheral issue for food systems. Reliable and affordable energy affects irrigation, cold storage, processing, transport, markets and the ability of rural enterprises to add value. Renewable energy can therefore be an enabler of both food-system resilience and rural economic development.

Investing in young innovators

NFP's partnership with Wageningen University & Research was also visible through the Food Systems Innovation Challenge. 

The Challenge connects students from universities in the Global South and elsewhere with real food-system challenges, creating opportunities for young people to develop practical solutions and entrepreneurial ideas. 

WUR and NFP jointly organise the Challenge, with a strong emphasis on partnerships with universities in the Global South and on connecting youth innovation with food-system transformation pathways. The 2026 edition involves student teams from 17 partner universities. 

Although the Grand Finals will take place Tuesday, 29 September 2026 in Wageningen, the initiative formed part of the wider NFP presence at AFSF: an example of how youth engagement, education, innovation and entrepreneurship can be connected rather than treated as separate agendas.

The 30 selected teams

1	Bangladesh	Bangladesh Agricultural University	The Golden Loop
2	Bangladesh	Bangladesh Agricultural University	Biocircular
3	Benin	National University of Agriculture	GreenValor-Compost
4	Benin	National University of Agriculture	Ketou FertiSoyaPlus
5	Brazil	ESALQ-USP	EcoPalm Nexus
6	Brazil	ESALQ-USP	Kindred Ora
7	Ethiopia	Wollo University	Eureka
8	Ethiopia	Wollo University	Biochar – The Black Diamond
9	Ghana	University of Ghana	Soilpulse AI
10	Ghana	University of Ghana	MacIsland
11	Indonesia	University of Brawijaya	Ekolestari
12	Indonesia	University of Brawijaya	Ngramut Wiji
13	Kenya	Lukenya University	Agripro
14	Kenya	Lukenya University	Solar Harvest Innovators
15	Kenya	University of Eldoret	BreezBag
16	Kenya	University of Eldoret	FermentaFuture
17	Nepal	Kathmandu University	Green Miracle
18	Nepal	Kathmandu University	Shell Alchemist
19	Netherlands	Wageningen University & Research	IronTeam
20	Netherlands	Wageningen University & Research	Paludifuture
21	Nigeria	University of Abuja	Green Dessert
22	Nigeria	University of Abuja	Siam Bio-Store
23	Senegal	USSEIN	Gancax Pro
24	Senegal	USSEIN	MBT's Infusana
25	South Korea	Seoul National University	Regrain
26	South Korea	Seoul National University	ABEL
27	Uganda	Makerere University	Green Organic Harvest Canopy
28	Uganda	Makerere University	BioCoat Solutions
29	Vietnam	Can Tho University	Eco-Aqua Alliance
30	Vietnam	Tra Vinh University	EverGreen