EC's New Strategic Approach to Research and Innovation

8 September 2026. The European Commission launched a new strategic approach to boost research, innovation, deployment and uptake in Europe’s agri-food sector.

The European Commission adopted a Communication on a new Strategic Approach to Research and Innovation for competitive, resilient and sustainable agriculture, forestry, rural areas and food systems. This strategic document brings together two closely interlinked frameworks, to guide future research, innovation, deployment and uptake across the entire agri-food sector. These frameworks are AgRI 2040, focusing on agriculture, forestry and rural areas, and Food 2040, focusing on food systems, including fisheries and aquaculture.

The Communication aims to strengthen the agri-food innovation ecosystem from early-stage research and innovation to deployment and market uptake, and to accelerate the uptake of knowledge and innovation across the entire sector. It puts greater emphasis on users’ challenges and needs and on the delivery of real impact on the ground by bringing together multiple actors including end users, researchers and businesses, to co-create, test and demonstrate solutions in real-world settings. This will also help startups, scaleups and SMEs to move promising innovations closer to the market.

This Communication draws on insights from the public consultations supporting AgRI 2040 and Food 2040 as summarized in the Staff Working Document.

Resources

• AgRI 2040
• Food 2040
• Future-proofing EU Agri-Food through research and innovation: Summary of the consultation results (12 p)
• Building Food 2040: stakeholder input for the new EU Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda for Food Systems European Commission Report (17 p)
• Staff Working Document: Analytical overview of the achievements of the 2016 strategic approach to agricultural research and innovation and Food 2030 research and innovation framework and insights from stakeholder consultation activities (91 p)
• EU AgRI 2040 Conference 24-25 September 2026. Brussels

* 25/09 Partnerships for research and innovation that foster competitive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems in Europe and beyond: How to build strong strategic partnerships within the EU and beyond? What are successful examples?

New Strategic Approach to Research and Innovation

The European Commission’s new Strategic Approach to Research and Innovation (26 p.) places global cooperation, inclusive governance, knowledge brokerage and multi-actor innovation at the centre of future agricultural R&I. 

"In 2023, EU agriculture and food systems generated more than EUR 1 trillion in added value and employed around 30 million people (15% of all jobs in the EU2). This includes 4.8 million people employed in 309 000 businesses in the food and drink industry, the EU’s largest manufacturing sector that delivered EUR 1.5 trillion in turnover and EUR 296 billion in value added. As the world’s largest agri-food exporter, the EU recorded a EUR 50 billion agri-food trade surplus in 2025." (page 2)

The Communication identifies cooperation with international partners as one of six cross-cutting priorities and specifically points to the AU–EU FNSSA Roadmap and its International Research Consortium as the framework for identifying common R&I priorities with Africa.

This creates a role for GFAiR as a global convening and brokerage mechanism: connecting the EU with Regional Fora, NARS, farmer organisations, universities, CGIAR and other innovation actors; facilitating equitable participation in research agenda-setting; and helping translate international research investments into locally relevant Collective Actions. 

"The new roadmap agreed between the African Union and the EU on ‘Food and Nutrition Security and Sustainable Agriculture’ (FNSSA), together with the related International Research Consortium should provide a framework for identifying, with the African Union and related partners, common areas on which to focus. Cooperation with other partners to address similar challenges in agriculture, forestry and rural areas, such as India or the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, could be further explored." (page 12)

This is reinforced by the Communication's emphasis on governance that integrates different forms of knowledge and perspectives, inclusive stakeholder engagement, youth and gender, and stronger links between research and policymaking. In this sense, GFAiR can help ensure that international cooperation under AgRI 2040 is not simply EU research transferred to partner countries, but genuinely co-created research and innovation responding to priorities identified by national and regional actors.

The Communication is equally significant for National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS) because its proposed innovation model closely corresponds to the functions NARS must perform: linking research, farmers, extension and advisory services, education, private enterprise, policymakers and markets. 

The Commission stresses that innovation must move beyond individual projects through scaling out, scaling up and scaling deep, and argues that farmers are more likely to adopt innovations when they are co-created with them, tested under real-life conditions and supported through advisory services and peer-to-peer exchange. This provides a strong rationale for engaging NARS as national innovation-system partners rather than merely research implementers. Their research stations, extension links, testing facilities, universities and relationships with producers can provide the institutional infrastructure for Living Labs, farmer-led experimentation, validation of traditional knowledge and adaptation of innovations to local conditions. 

Particularly relevant to GFAiR’s current work, AgRI 2040 explicitly calls for the development or reintroduction of “neglected and underutilised species” as climate-smart, resource-efficient, resilient and diverse crops.

"The potential of plant breeding, knowledge of seeds and plant varieties, biotechnology and genetic resources should be further leveraged. This includes supporting breeding activities, as well as the development or reintroduction of climate-smart, resource-efficient, resilient, resistant and diverse varieties, including neglected and underutilised species, suited to a wide range of conditions, with due consideration of the legal41 and policy context." (page 16-17)

Extract from the consultation results

Up to 88% of the respondents strongly or somewhat agreed with the four proposed mechanisms to strengthen research and innovation (R&I) at EU and international level to address global challenges in agriculture, forestry and rural areas: (page 10)

1. closer public-public cooperation and alignment of agendas between the EU, Member States and Associated Countries; 
2. enhanced public-private collaboration with business and philanthropic actors; 
3. deeper partnerships with international organisations and third countries; 
4. stronger cross-disciplinary and cross sectoral collaboration (for example on One Health, the bioeconomy, biotechnology and the blue economy). 

Extract from the Staff Working Document

The Staff Working Document provides a fairly clear set of lessons for how agricultural research and innovation (R&I) should be strengthened at international level. The most relevant elements are:

• Treat international cooperation as a core R&I function, not an add-on. The Commission argues that climate change, biodiversity loss, soil degradation, water scarcity and food insecurity are inherently cross-border challenges. International cooperation is therefore needed to accelerate innovation uptake, exchange knowledge and co-develop solutions adapted to local needs. The document notes that third-country partners participated in 34% of relevant Horizon 2020 projects and 19% of current Horizon Europe projects.
  
  
• Build long-term international R&I partnerships around jointly agreed priorities. The EU–AU FNSSA Partnership is presented as a flagship model: it combines joint research, innovation, capacity building and knowledge exchange around sustainable agriculture, nutrition-sensitive food systems, markets and trade, climate resilience and innovation uptake. The Commission has mobilised more than €125.5 million for 20 collaborative projects through this cooperation. Several projects began in 2020: FOODLAND | InnoFoodAfrica | HealthyFoodAfricaEWA – BELT | SustainSAHEL | SustInAfrica | UPSCALE | Soils4Africa
  
  
• 
  Move from temporary projects towards permanent or networked international research mechanisms. Particularly important is the International Research Consortium (IRC-FNSSA). 
  "Its establishment has transformed FNSSA from a coordination platform into a long-term, inclusive mechanism for joint AU-EU research governance."
  Together with the forthcoming FNSSA Roadmap 2027–2036, it is expected to support
  innovation, policy alignment and sustainable development across both continents.
  CEA-FIRST further supports this by reducing research fragmentation, developing a common knowledge platform, analysing R&I activities and establishing thematic working groups that feed evidence into high-level policy dialogue.
  
  
• Strengthen NARS and Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS). The AKIS4FNSSA project is a Horizon Europe research initiative that builds a shared African and European agricultural knowledge network to support sustainable food security. The envisaged impact is to strengthen the AU–EU agrifood systems R&I governance framework by evolving the IRC into an enduring infrastructure and a community of practice that drives agricultural innovation in Africa. AKIS4FNSSA is a shared African and European knowledge investment into a productive, innovative-driven and inclusive agricultural innovation system supporting the FNSSA Partnership.
  
  
• 
  Use multi-actor and place-based approaches internationally. International cooperation increasingly supports place-based innovation and AKIS, while Horizon cooperation promotes multi-actor approaches and capacity building. CANALLS (Driving agroecological transitions in the humid tropics of Central and Eastern Africa through traNsdisciplinary Agroecology Living LabS) provides a concrete African example: eight agroecology Living Labs connect researchers, farmers, advisory services,
  communities and policymakers and engage more than 20,000 farmers and value-chain actors. This is a way of connecting science, policy and practice.
  
  
  
• Connect international research to policy and investment rather than ending at knowledge generation. PRIMA - The Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area - demonstrates such model: countries pool resources around a common R&I strategy and competitive calls. Between 2018 and 2025 it supported 2,900 beneficiaries through 305 projects, illustrating how a long-term intergovernmental partnership can mobilise scientific communities, public institutions and private actors around common challenges.
  
  
• 
  Improve access of smaller and less-connected actors to international R&I. Cascade funding can finance SMEs, farmers and other small actors to test and validate research results, while Living Labs and lighthouses allow innovations to be tested under real conditions.
  
  The PREMIERE project adds training, capacity building, networking, brokerage and even seed funding for proposal development, specifically to widen participation of organisations with little previous experience in collaborative projects. PREMIERE is a European Union funded project that aims to strengthen the multi-actor approach by supporting the development of more relevant, coherent, and well-prepared project proposals. Handbook #2 is the second in PREMIERE’s series of practical guides for multi-actor proposal teams. It’s a companion to the forthcoming, shorter How-to Guide on the same topic and to PREMIERE’s webinar on this subject (available soon).

The role of regional fora

GFAiR through its global coordination and network along with the six Regional Fora can contribute to Food 2040 by acting as the bridge between the EU’s global R&I ambitions and the priorities, capacities and innovation systems of their regions. Building on the Food 2030 experience, they can help co-define research agendas, connect NARS and AKIS actors, identify locally relevant food-system challenges, mobilise multi-actor partnerships, and channel evidence from farmers, researchers, advisory services, private sector and policymakers into international R&I programming.

GFAiR and Regional Fora together could help Food 2040 avoid fragmented, project-by-project cooperation by aggregating national priorities, facilitating cross-country and South–South learning, supporting regional Living Labs and Communities of Practice, and ensuring that EU-funded research is better aligned with regional strategies and more effectively taken up through NARS, extension, education and policy systems.

AGRA Impact, Learning and Foresight Report 2026

31 August 2026. AFS Kigali. The major AGRA report whose findings were brought into the AFS Forum 2026 discussions in Kigali was the AGRA Impact, Learning and Foresight Report 2026, a 20-year stocktake of AGRA’s work and, more broadly, of Africa’s agricultural transformation since 2006

AGRA (2026) AGRA Impact, Learning and Foresight Report 2026. 180 p.

AGRA (2026) Executive summary AGRA Impact, Learning and Foresight Report 2026.  17 p.

Its central message is that Africa has made substantial agricultural progress, but increased production has not consistently translated into farmer prosperity. The review points to gains such as roughly 40% higher cereal yields, nearly doubled real farm output and increased farmer incomes since 2005, while stressing that these aggregate improvements coexist with persistent food insecurity, low profitability for many smallholders and weak resilience. 

It therefore argues that the next phase of transformation should be judged less by hectares reached, technologies distributed or yields alone, and more by whether farmers earn sustainable incomes and become economically resilient.

A particularly useful contribution of the report is its diagnosis of three interconnected “traps” holding back transformation: 

1. the productivity trap, where farmers cannot consistently achieve sufficient productivity; 
2. the value trap, where farmers and other local actors capture too little value from what they produce; and 
3. the capability trap, where institutions, markets and delivery systems lack the capacity to sustain transformation. 

The implication is that isolated interventions—better seed, fertilizer or training on their own—are insufficient. Productivity needs to be connected to functioning markets, finance, infrastructure, value addition, institutions and demand.

Rockefeller Foundation at AFS Forum 2026: Investing in healthier and more resilient food systems

31 August–4 September 2026. Africa Food Systems Forum (AFSF), Kigali, Rwanda, 

The Rockefeller Foundation highlighted how investment in nutrition, clean energy, public procurement and food markets can accelerate Africa’s food systems transformation. 

31 August 2026. Among the Foundation's prominent engagements was the Signature Side Event “Agri-Energy Finance for Underserved Groups”, organised with Practical Action, the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) and BASE. The discussion examined how finance, clean energy, agricultural markets, farmer organisations and last-mile businesses can be connected so that technologies such as solar irrigation, cooling, storage and processing become commercially viable for underserved farming communities. 

• keynote by Kagwiria Koome, Lead of the Rockefeller Foundation Food Team, 
• Roselyn Akinyi Walender – Africa Director at Practical Action
• Kagwiria Koome – Food Team Lead at The Rockefeller Foundation 
• Tim Mwangi – Head of Programme Delivery at Practical Action Kenya 

1 September. The Breakthrough Session “Public Procurement for Nourishing Nations,” explored how government purchasing—including school meals—can simultaneously improve nutrition, create markets for local farmers and SMEs, and strengthen local food economies.

• Betty Kibaara with Diplav Sapkota (The Rockefeller Foundation)
• Leila Odhiambo (Ministry of Health, Kenya)
• Bahati W. (AGRIFACE Ltd, Rwanda)
• IMBABAZI Jean De La Croix (World Food Forum Rwanda)
• MICHAEL ONCHABO (FOLU Kenya)
• Nancy Phoebe Rapando (ClimateWorks Foundation, 

3 September. The Narrative Panel “Telling Africa’s Food Story: Proof, Perception and Power”, examined a central communication challenge in African food systems: the gap between official narratives of agricultural transformation, the evidence and data used to demonstrate progress, and the realities experienced and perceived by farmers and citizens. 

In particular, the discussion considered who shapes Africa’s food-system narrative, whose evidence is considered credible, and how research, statistics, journalism and lived experience can be combined to communicate both progress and persistent challenges more accurately.

• Dr John Ulimwengu, Evidence and Measurement at IFPRI; 
• Ms Umuliza Njiru, Rockefeller Foundation, Investment and Partnership; 
• Dr Fatou Dieng Gueye, Agro-economist and Head of CORAF’s MEL unit
• Gilbert Borketey Boyefio, Programmes Manager at Parliamentary Network Africa.

4 September. Nutrition and consumer demand formed another important strand. The Rockefeller

Foundation co-organised the closing plenary “Charting Consumer Demand Trends & Our Food Environment” with AGRA, GAIN, SNV and the Access to Nutrition initiative. 

• The session examined how healthier and nutrient-dense foods can become more affordable, desirable and commercially attractive, while generating jobs and markets for women and young people. 
• At its exhibition space, the Foundation also showcased the work of the Fortified Whole Grain Alliance, including fortified whole-grain products from Rwanda, Kenya and Benin and progress in linking nutritious grains to school feeding.

1 September. A particularly engaging part of the Rockefeller Foundation programme was the screening of FOOD 2050, its new feature documentary narrated and executive-produced by Academy Award winner Viola Davis.

• The film itself had its world premiere earlier, on 14 January 2026 in Los Angeles, at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. 
• The film follows farmers, scientists, entrepreneurs and activists across five continents and asks a central question for the future of agriculture: how can the world nourish nearly 10 billion people by 2050 in ways that are regenerative, equitable and healthy? 
• The documentary grew out of the Rockefeller Foundation’s Food System Vision Prize, which attracted more than 1,300 visions involving 4,000 organisations from 119 countries.
• Watch / learn more: FOOD 2050 – official film website and trailer. The full feature film is currently listed as “coming soon to streaming”; meanwhile, the original Food 2050 short-film series can be watched through the Rockefeller Foundation’s Food System Vision Prize page. Watch the Food 2050 series

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

WINNERS OF THE CAFF 2026 YOUTH CHALLENGE – SECOND COHORT

1 September 2026. Young changemakers selected for the Second Cohort of the 2026 Collective Action on Forgotten Foods (CAFF) Youth Challenge.

The 2026 Collective Action on Forgotten Foods (CAFF) Youth Challenge is a youth-led innovation initiative of GFAiR’s Collective Action on Forgotten Foods, coordinated by The Food Bridge, that supports young people aged 18–30 in Africa and the Caribbean to rediscover, promote and innovate around indigenous, neglected and underutilized foods. 

Through small project grants, mentorship and capacity building, young changemakers implement practical initiatives on university campuses and in semi-urban communities that connect traditional and intergenerational knowledge with nutrition, biodiversity conservation, climate resilience, entrepreneurship and stronger local food systems. 

More broadly, the Challenge seeks to develop a new generation of biodiversity champions who can turn forgotten foods into “foods of the future,” creating livelihoods and new products and value chains while preserving food heritage and strengthening links among youth, communities, research organisations and other food-system actors.

Across Africa, young people are taking action to revive forgotten and indigenous foods, improve nutrition, preserve traditional knowledge and strengthen local food systems.

The Second Cohort Winners are:

2026 — Second Cohort: 4 winners

Country	Winner / initiative	What the project does
Kenya	Serah Masika Samuel – Uji Wa Tano: Restoring Indigenous Nutrition for Child Health	Revives an indigenous porridge and associated food knowledge to use locally available foods to improve child nutrition and health.
Uganda	Omony Polycarp – Reviving Finger Millet for Improved Nutrition Among Women Farmers	Promotes the cultivation and consumption of finger millet among women farmers in Palenga Town Council, Omoro District, connecting an indigenous cereal with household nutrition.
Ghana	Sakina Abdulai / Fulani Youth Association of Ghana (FuYAG) – Reviving Forgotten Fulani Foods	Creates youth–elder knowledge exchange in Wulugu to preserve and revive traditional Fulani foods and the cultural knowledge surrounding them.
DR Congo	Nevile Matabaro Gaddiel – Vita Root Africa	Engages urban youth in Goma, North Kivu, in rediscovering nutritious and medicinal indigenous foods and reconnecting traditional knowledge with contemporary urban food systems.

These projects demonstrate that forgotten foods are not simply foods of the past. They can contribute to the future of nutrition, biodiversity, livelihoods, cultural heritage and resilient African food systems. 

Taken together, the 13 initiatives show an evolution from the 2025 proof-of-concept focused on food heritage and awareness in Nigeria and Ghana toward a broader African youth innovation programme in 2026. 

The portfolio now covers indigenous vegetables, Bambara groundnut, purple beans, grains, leafy foods, seaweed, orphan crops, finger millet, traditional Fulani foods and medicinal indigenous foods, while combining nutrition, biodiversity conservation, intergenerational knowledge transfer, youth entrepreneurship, education and community resilience. This reflects CAFF's broader ambition to develop young people not only as beneficiaries but as biodiversity champions and custodians of indigenous knowledge who can turn “forgotten foods” into foods of the future.

Across 2025 and 2026, 13 projects have so far been selected through the CAFF Youth Challenge: four pilot winners in 2025, followed by five winners in the first 2026 cohort and four in the second cohort. The programme has also expanded geographically—from Nigeria and Ghana in 2025 to Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Cameroon, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2026. (GFAiR)

2025 — 4 winners

Country	Winner / initiative	What the project does
Nigeria	CFF Agroschooling Initiative, Ibadan – Rediscovering Indigenous Vegetables through Youth-Led Campus Food Heritage Hubs	Reconnects university students with indigenous leafy vegetables through cultivation, seed distribution, awareness activities, cooking and a campus Indigenous Food Festival.
Nigeria	NAgriFoRD youth group, FUTO – From Elders to Youths: Preserving Igbo Food Heritage in Imo State	Brings young people and elders together to document, cultivate and transmit Igbo traditional foods and associated knowledge, making food heritage relevant to a new generation. Chimezie Marvellous presented the initiative at the 2026 World Social Forum.
Ghana	Emmanuella Akumtu Caesar – “Aboboe” Revival: A School Farm for Nutrition, Skills and Indigenous Crop Heritage	Uses a school farm in Ghana’s Eastern Region to introduce children to Bambara groundnut (Aboboe), combining improved nutrition with agricultural skills and preservation of indigenous crop heritage.
Ghana	Joel Teye – Reviving Akortormor Purple Beans	Revives the Akortormor purple bean, an indigenous food of the Krobo people, linking on-farm conservation and renewed consumption with cultural heritage and livelihood opportunities.

2026 — First Cohort: 5 winners

Country	Winner / initiative	What the project does
Nigeria	Dalis Favour Apollos / Gwomshar Initiative – ROOTS & REVIVAL	Mobilizes young people in Plateau State around forgotten foods, using indigenous crops and knowledge to strengthen food heritage and community resilience.
Ghana	Wisdom Kofi, with Philomena Blankson & Kwame Asante – From Farm to Feast	Seeks to bring Ghana's forgotten grains and leafy foods back into the diets of urban youth, connecting food heritage with nutrition and food innovation.
Kenya	Damaris Adhiambo Adoyo & Quinter Aoko Ogwonyo, Pwani University – Revitalizing Seaweed as a Nutritional Powerhouse in Kwale County	Repositions locally produced seaweed from primarily an income/export commodity towards greater use as a nutritious food within coastal communities.
Cameroon	Enongene Beltin Epie – ROOTS REVIVAL: Youth-Elder Action for Forgotten Foods and Community Resilience	Uses intergenerational youth–elder engagement to recover forgotten-food knowledge and strengthen community resilience and indigenous food heritage.
Uganda	Suzan Amoit, Makerere University – Reviving Forgotten Foods: A Youth-Led Innovation for Orphan Crops	Mobilizes youth around orphan crops, promoting their revival as part of more diverse, nutritious and sustainable food systems.

Taken together, the 13 initiatives show an evolution from the 2025 proof-of-concept focused on food heritage and awareness in Nigeria and Ghana toward a broader African youth innovation programme in 2026. 

The portfolio now covers indigenous vegetables, Bambara groundnut, purple beans, grains, leafy foods, seaweed, orphan crops, finger millet, traditional Fulani foods and medicinal indigenous foods, while combining nutrition, biodiversity conservation, intergenerational knowledge transfer, youth entrepreneurship, education and community resilience. This reflects CAFF's broader ambition to develop young people not only as beneficiaries but as biodiversity champions and custodians of indigenous knowledge who can turn “forgotten foods” into foods of the future.

Highlight 1: Gwomshar Initiative – ROOTS & REVIVAL / Nigeria

9 September 2026. Gwomshar Colloquium Calls for Revival of Indigenous Foods, Cultural Heritage in Plateau

The colloquium, themed “Preserving Our Heritage, Nourishing Our Future,” brought together academics, community representatives, youths and traditional custodians to highlight the nutritional, economic, environmental and cultural value of forgotten foods.

Dalis Favour Apollos (picture right)—through the Gwomshar Initiative—subsequently became one of the first five winners of the 2026 CAFF Youth Challenge with “ROOTS & REVIVAL: A Youth-Led Forgotten Foods Initiative in Plateau State, North-Central Nigeria.” Her earlier initiative was enabled by a grant secured through T-CEIPEC: TETFund Centre of Excellence for Innovative Teaching and Learning in Primary and Early Childhood Education (T-CEIPEC) at the Federal University of Education, Pankshin (FUEP) in Plateau State, Nigeria.

Highlight 2: Revitalizing Seaweed as a Nutritional Powerhouse in Kwale County / Kenya

Damaris Adhiambo Adoyo & Quinter Aoko Ogwonyo, Pwani University – Revitalizing Seaweed as a Nutritional Powerhouse in Kwale County. She repositions locally produced seaweed from primarily an income/export commodity towards greater use as a nutritious food within coastal communities.

Global Agrifood Systems Outlook to 2050

10 September 2026. Global Agrifood Systems Outlook to 2050: Informing Decisions for an Uncertain Future.

Organized by IFPRI in collaboration with the CGIAR Science Program on Policy Innovations

The Global Agrifood Systems Outlook to 2050, published by IFPRI on 10 September 2026 and prepared under the CGIAR Science Program on Policy Innovations, is a new long-term foresight report examining how global agrifood systems could evolve over the next 25 years. 

Wiebe, Keith; Cenacchi, Nicola; Dunston, Shahnila; Gabriel, Sherwin; Hartley, Faaiqa; et al. 2026. Global agrifood systems outlook to 2050. Report September 2026. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. 154 p

Rather than making a single prediction, it explores plausible futures under different scenarios, considering changes in population, incomes, technology and climate and their implications for diets, agricultural production, food security, international trade and natural-resource use. Its particular purpose is to fill the gap between short- and medium-term agricultural outlooks and the longer-term information needed by policymakers—especially in low- and middle-income countries—to anticipate emerging challenges and make investment and policy choices today that support healthier, more sustainable and resilient food systems through 2050.

A particularly important dimension is the interaction between agricultural productivity, natural resources, Africa and global trade. The launch highlighted productivity and resource constraints as a thematic focus and Africa and trade as a specific regional focus, asking how future production, demand and trade patterns may reshape food security. 

The Outlook is therefore intended as a decision-support and foresight tool, connecting quantitative modelling and alternative scenarios with policy choices rather than presenting 2050 as a fixed endpoint. Its findings are also designed to inform CGIAR's future research and policy agenda across climate adaptation, biodiversity and environmental health, nutrition and food security, livelihoods and jobs, and social inclusion.

Welcome & Setting the Scene 

• Moderator: Evgeniya Anisimova, Media and Digital Engagement Manager, IFPRI
• Why Look Ahead? The Importance of Looking Ahead to the Future of Agrifood Systems:Clemens Breisinger, Director, CGIAR Policy Innovations Program

Introducing the Global Outlook Report

• Overview: Keith Wiebe, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI
• Thematic Highlight: Productivity & Resources: Abhijeet Mishra, Research Fellow, IFPRI
• Regional Highlight: Africa & Trade: Faaiqa Hartley, Scientist, IFPRI

Panel Discussion: What Does the Outlook Mean for Agrifood Systems?

A discussion with leading experts on the implications of the report’s findings for the future of agrifood systems, including perspectives from development, policy, research, and practice.

• Rob Bertram, Chief Scientist, Food Security Leadership Council
• Valeria Piñeiro, Director Technical Cooperation, Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA)
• Elisabetta Gotor, Director, Land Resource Economics Unit, Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT

From Outlook to Action

• Connecting the Findings to the CGIAR and Policy Research Agenda: James Thurlow, Director, Foresight and Policy Modeling Unit, IFPRI

Strengthening EU–Mediterranean cooperation on sustainable food systems

On 9 September 2026, CIHEAM Bari convened a Mediterranean Breakfast Dialogue in Brussels, bringing together representatives of different organisations for an informal exchange on the future of cooperation between the European Union and Mediterranean countries. 

The meeting was opened by Biagio di Terlizzi, Director of CIHEAM Bari, and centred on a moderated roundtable led by Eduardo Cuoco, Director of IFOAM Organics Europe.

The discussion addressed two central questions: 

1. what priorities should guide future EU cooperation with Mediterranean countries on sustainable agriculture and food systems, and 
2. where stronger cooperation among European institutions, international organisations and Mediterranean partners could create the greatest added value. 

Against the backdrop of shared challenges across the Mediterranean—from climate change and natural-resource pressures to the need for more resilient and sustainable food systems—the dialogue provided a space to identify common priorities and potential areas for joint action.

A key purpose of the meeting was therefore to identify areas of convergence for future cooperation and explore how better coordination among international organisations, cooperation actors and Mediterranean partners could translate into concrete added value. The format, combining a focused roundtable with informal bilateral exchanges, also provided an opportunity to build relationships and identify possible follow-up collaboration around sustainable agriculture and food systems in the Mediterranean.

Interview

Interview with Claudi BOGLIOTTI of BARI CIHEAM. SUSTLIVES is an EU-funded agricultural project under the DeSIRA initiative focused on improving local crop patrimony, livelihoods, and ecosystems in Burkina Faso and Niger. This project was extended through AgrEcoNUS+ https://capacity4dev.europa.eu/media/...

SUSTLIVES (Sustaining and Improving Local Crop Patrimony in Burkina Faso and Niger for Better Lives and Ecosystems) was an EU-funded project under the DeSIRA (Development Smart Innovation through Research in Agriculture) initiative, implemented from 2021 with the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) and CIHEAM Bari. Working in Burkina Faso and Niger, it promoted sustainable and climate-resilient food systems by bringing neglected and underutilized species (NUS) back into research, production, diets and markets. Its approach combined conservation of local agrobiodiversity with stronger NUS value chains, research and innovation capacity within Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS), and participatory work with farmers and other stakeholders. Particular attention was given to food and nutrition security, rural livelihoods, and economic opportunities for women and young people.

The experience and approaches developed through SUSTLIVES are being taken further through AgrEcoNUS+ (Agroecological Transition and Community Resilience through Neglected and Underutilized Species in Africa). Rather than treating NUS merely as “forgotten crops,” this follow-on initiative places them within a broader agroecological transition and resilience agenda, linking agrobiodiversity, food sovereignty, ecosystem sustainability and equitable market opportunities. AgrEcoNUS+ therefore provides an avenue for scaling lessons generated by SUSTLIVES beyond its original Burkina Faso–Niger focus and strengthening collaboration around African opportunity crops and resilient food systems across the Sahel and wider Africa.

Forthcoming:

25 November 2026. Bari, Italy. AU-EU Innovation fair - focus on food and nutrition security and sustainable agriculture

• The event will run as a full-day hybrid programme (9:00 am – 7:00 pm), combining:
• High-level policy sessions;
• Two-minute innovation pitches from selected R&I projects and start-ups;
• An exhibition and matchmaking space featuring innovative solutions, investors, business support organisations and research initiatives;
• Awards for outstanding start-ups and SMEs;
• Other networking opportunities.

GFAiR Unveils Guides to Measure Equitable Partnerships

4 September 2026. The GFAiR - The Global Forum on Agricultural Innovation and Research has officially launched four practical guides that provide frameworks, standards, and KPIs for measuring Equitable Partnerships across every stage of Research for Development (R4D) projects.

🌱 Who benefits? Researchers, project partners, and global agricultural initiatives at all levels.

The four guides include:

1️⃣ The Partnership Principles: Defines nine principles for building equitable, inclusive, transparent, and mutually beneficial partnerships in agrifood research and innovation. 3 p.

2️⃣ Guidelines for Application in Projects: Shows researchers how to apply the nine Partnership Principles at each stage of a project, from scoping and design through implementation, dissemination, and scaling.  6 p.

3️⃣ Assessment Tool (Manual): Provides a survey-based tool, available manually or digitally, for partners to assess how effectively a project is applying the nine principles and identify areas for improvement. 

4️⃣ Partner-Inclusive Language Guide: Provides practical guidance on using language that recognises partners as equal contributors and avoids terminology that reinforces unequal power relationships in research partnerships. 13 p.

It was launched during a strategic dinner meeting on the sidelines of the AFS Forum 2026 in Kigali, Rwanda. These tools address a critical sector-wide gap.

As Joanna Kane-Potaka, GFAiR Executive Secretary, highlighted during the launch: 

"There are no standards on measuring Equitable Partnerships, and a lot more work is needed. That is why GFAiR unveiled a series of guides for how to apply Equitable Partnerships in projects, as well as how to measure them at each stage of a Research for Development project."

🤝 Witnessed by Strategic Partners the launch was celebrated alongside key regional partners from the  Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa - FARA,  ASARECA, CORAF and CCARDESA, including:

1. FARA: Dr. Aggrey Agumya (Executive Director)
   
2. ASARECA: Sylvester Dickson Baguma (PhD) (Executive Director along with Dr. Joshua Okonya, Moses Odeke; Julian Barungi and Blaise Amony)
3. CORAF: Dr. Emmanuel Njukwe (Director of Research and Innovation)
4. CCARDESA: Dr. Majola L. Mabuza (Special Programme Coordinator, FSRP)
5. GFAiR: Francois Stepman (Advisor), and Dr. Botir Dosov (GNC Consultant)

🌍 Supported by the European Commission, GFAiR works in close collaboration with six Regional Fora to drive agricultural innovation.

🫶 A massive thank you to all our partners for the continued support and collaboration in bringing this milestone to fruition!

Related:

2 September 2026. Are Equitable Partnerships enough? The GFAiR time-tested approach

Equitable partnerships are necessary but not sufficient to transform agricultural research and development. Drawing on GFAiR Executive Secretary Joanna Kane-Potaka’s keynote at the SOR4D (Solutions Oriented Research for Development) conference in Switzerland under under the overarching theme “Advancing Transdisciplinary Research for Global Development: Crisis, Collaboration, and Change”, it makes the case for moving beyond shared decision-making and co-ownership toward genuine local leadership.

1. Equity must lead to local leadership: Partnerships can be co-designed and co-implemented while power still remains with those controlling funding; genuine transformation requires external partners to relinquish some power and enable local actors to lead.
2. External partners should build local capacity: Rather than protecting their own existing “comparative advantage,” international organisations should use their strengths to help national institutions develop the capabilities needed to eventually lead their own research and innovation.
3. Funding can unintentionally reinforce inequity: Consolidating fragmented funding could reduce duplication and proposal-writing costs, but larger projects may exclude smaller or less-experienced organisations unless funding mechanisms are deliberately designed around equity and local leadership.
4. National actors should set the agenda: Governments and national institutions need to have their priorities and voices amplified so that international partners support locally defined agendas rather than determining them.
5. Partnerships need to be measured: There is currently no widely accepted standard for measuring equitable partnerships, which is why GFAiR is developing tools and guidance to assess partnerships throughout the research-for-development project cycle.
6. The problem is often “how,” not “what”: The article suggests that many development challenges are not primarily limited by technical research capacity, but by how research is organised, who participates, who owns it, and whether solutions are taken up and scaled locally.
7. The ultimate goal: GFAiR sees equitable partnerships as a step toward local leadership, greater ownership, uptake and scaling of solutions, and ultimately stronger development impact—with funders having a particularly important role in accelerating this shift.

Related:

FARA's PAEPARD (Platform for African-European Partnership in Agricultural Research for Development) produced multi-stakeholder briefs and capacity-building resources to foster user-led agricultural innovation

1. ARD Partnerships – An Introduction: An introduction to agricultural research-for-development (ARD) partnerships and the PAEPARD approach.
2. Systems Thinking and ARD Partnerships: Explores how systems thinking can help partners understand the wider context, relationships and dynamics affecting agricultural innovation.
3. Adaptive Leadership in ARD: Examines leadership approaches for navigating complexity, uncertainty and change in multi-stakeholder agricultural partnerships.
4. Managing Power Differences in ARD Partnerships: Focuses on recognising and managing differences in power, influence and resources among research and development partners.
5. Gender and Youth Inclusion in ARD Processes: Looks at how agricultural research partnerships can meaningfully include women and young people rather than treating inclusion as an add-on.
6. Reflection and Learning in ARD: Explores how partnerships can systematically reflect, learn from experience and adapt their approaches during implementation.
7. Knowledge Co-creation and Management in ARD: Addresses how different stakeholders can jointly create, exchange, manage and use knowledge throughout the research and innovation process.
8. Scaling in ARD Processes: Examines different pathways for taking successful agricultural innovations to greater scale, including scaling out, up and deep.

From Research to Resilience: AFS Kigali’s Agricultural Learning Journey to Huye

On 31 August, the AFS Kigali delegation travelled to Huye for an inspiring field visit focused on one of Rwanda’s most important development assets: its agricultural research and innovation ecosystem.

The visit provided an opportunity to experience first-hand how scientific research, technology, conservation, and farmer-focused innovation are contributing to the transformation of Rwanda’s agricultural sector. 

The visit demonstrated a powerful connection between research institutions and the realities faced by farmers — from conserving valuable genetic resources to developing improved planting materials, strengthening soil fertility, and increasing the productivity and resilience of agricultural systems.

RAB Rubona Station: history, infrastructure and challenges

Established in 1935 in Rwanda’s Southern Province (formerly Butare), RAB Rubona Station is the country’s oldest agricultural research station and the historic foundation of Rwanda’s National Agricultural Research System. Initially created during the Belgian colonial period as the Institut National pour l'Étude Agronomique du Congo (INEAC), Rubona became a centre for research on food crops, soils and livestock adapted to the highland agroecosystems of Central Africa. 

Following Rwanda’s independence, the station evolved through successive national research institutions before becoming a flagship centre of the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB) in 2011. Over the decades, Rubona has played a pivotal role in developing improved varieties of beans, maize, cassava, sweet potato and potato, while conserving indigenous crop genetic resources and supporting farmer-oriented agricultural innovation.

Today, Rubona Station comprises extensive experimental fields, crop breeding and seed multiplication facilities, soil and plant laboratories, greenhouses, irrigation infrastructure, livestock research units, offices, conference and training facilities, and one of Rwanda’s principal national genebank collections for agricultural biodiversity. 

The station hosts multidisciplinary teams of breeders, agronomists, soil scientists, plant pathologists, entomologists, livestock specialists, laboratory technicians and extension-oriented researchers who collaborate closely with universities and international partners such as CGIAR centres. 

The BioCap/COECB [Rwanda Biotech Capacity Building (BioCap) / Centre of Excellence for Crop Biotechnology]  investment is a major current infrastructure development.

Launched in December 2025, it goes beyond conducting individual crop trials: it is intended to build permanent national biotechnology capacity at Rubona. Particularly significant is the planned Centre of Excellence for Crop Biotechnology (COECB). CIP (International Potato Center) and RAB are currently developing the facility at Rubona, for biotechnology, genome editing and capacity building, particularly for potato and cassava. It is supported by a  $15 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center is part of this international initiative. 

Despite its strategic importance, Rubona faces significant challenges including ageing laboratory and irrigation infrastructure, limited long-term funding for research maintenance, shortages of advanced analytical equipment, the need to attract and retain highly qualified scientists, and increasing pressure to develop climate-resilient and nutrition-sensitive innovations that respond to Rwanda’s rapidly evolving agrifood system.

Discovering Rwanda’s Agricultural Research Ecosystem

At RAB Rubona Station, participants explored a remarkable collection of more than 100 conserved banana varieties. The collection illustrates the importance of agricultural biodiversity and the role of research institutions in protecting genetic resources that can support future breeding, adaptation, and food security.

The visit also introduced participants to advanced technologies supporting early-generation seed production and germplasm conservation across a diverse range of crops, including: Cassava, Sweet potato, Banana, Coffee, Passion fruit and Tree tomato.

Seeing these systems in practice offered a valuable perspective on the science behind the crops that sustain rural livelihoods. Conservation is not simply about preserving varieties for the future; it is also about maintaining the genetic diversity needed to respond to emerging challenges such as climate change, pests, diseases, and changing market demands.

From Innovation to the Farmer

A particularly important aspect of the visit was learning about rapid cassava seed multiplication and customized soil-fertility management systems.

These innovations demonstrate how agricultural research can be translated into practical solutions. Producing quality planting material more rapidly can help farmers access improved varieties, while soil-fertility approaches adapted to specific conditions can support more efficient use of nutrients and improve productivity.

Together, these technologies illustrate a broader principle: agricultural transformation requires more than introducing a new crop or technology. It requires sustained investment in research, experimentation, conservation, knowledge transfer, and systems that allow innovations to reach farmers at scale. The experience at Rubona showed how this long-term investment can contribute to higher productivity, greater resilience, and scalable solutions for farmers.

Advancing research and development of Bambara groundnut

The Society for Underutilized Legumes (SUL), which emerged from IITA's Genetic Resources Center and collaborates closely with IITA-CGIAR, is expanding research on Bambara groundnut  (Vigna subterranea) and other underutilized legumes into East Africa. Recent research includes collaboration with scientists from the University of Rwanda, complementing wider IITA work on Bambara groundnut genetic resources, breeding, nutrition, climate resilience and value addition. 

The Bambara groundnut (BGN), once labeled an orphan crop, has now assumed the status of an
important underutilized nutritious, drought-resistant legume crop, and is now positioned as a promising future crop that is serving a varied choice of culinary purposes, including local delicacies, and more recently, plant-protein-based milk alternatives. Despite the numerous benefits of BGN, processing its seeds into valuable food products generates wastes (such as husks, shells, haulms, and offal), which are often disposed of carelessly into the environment, thereby creating environmental hazards.

With this growing environmental challenge, comes the growing interest in adding value to the wastes generated from BGN and converting them into products that are useful for industrial purposes, as well as food and feed, and researchers from Nigeria, Rwanda and South Africa are unlocking new economic and environmental opportunities and exploring potential value-added products from Bambara groundnut waste, transforming what was once discarded material into valuable resources that support sustainable growth across Africa’s food systems.

Picture: Dr Adegboyega Taofeek T [Kneeling] of the Society of Undertutilised Legumes (IITA) and Dr Adeyemo Rasheed O. [Standing] on the Bambara groundnut field at the University of Rwanda, Huye Campus. The field trial was conducted with the support of Lecturers and Colleagues from the University of Rwanda.  

Livestock Innovation Meets Living Heritage

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The journey continued at Songa RAB Station, where agricultural innovation took on a different dimension through livestock.

The Rwanda Dairy Development Project – Phase 2 (RDDP-2) is a major dairy-sector transformation programme implemented by the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB) with financing from IFAD and other partners. 

Launched on August 30, 2024, the Rwanda Dairy Development Project – Phase 2 (RDDP 2) , funded by IFAD and implemented by RAB,will benefit 175,000 dairy farmers nationwide. The revitalization of the Songa Sement Production Centre is part of a broader $125 million USD initiative aimed at transforming the dairy sector over the next five years. Between $8 million and $10 million of the $125 million allocated for RDDP 2 will go directly into establishing and operationalizing the upgraded semen production centre. 

It aims to improve the income, nutrition and resilience of rural households by creating a more inclusive, climate-resilient, digitalized and competitive dairy sector, targeting around 175,000 rural households. Of particular relevance to RAB Songa Station, RDDP-2 is upgrading the Songa Semen Production Centre into a modern hub for bovine genetic improvement, with:

• technologies for semen and embryo production, 
• in-vitro fertilization (IVF), 
• artificial insemination and embryo transfer, 
• alongside improved forage production, 
• dairy performance recording and specialized training

30 high-quality bulls are already at Songa, with a longer-term target of 60. Approximately US$8–10 million is expected to be invested directly in establishing and operationalizing the upgraded Songa centre, positioning the station as an important national centre for dairy breeding, genetics and farmer/veterinarian capacity development

Participants discovered modern approaches to livestock breeding and semen collection, gaining insight into how reproductive technologies and improved genetics can contribute to greater livestock productivity.

At the same time, the station offered an encounter with an important part of Rwanda’s cultural heritage: the iconic Inyambo royal cattle.

The contrast — and connection — between advanced breeding technologies and these culturally significant cattle provided a powerful illustration of how innovation and heritage can coexist. Rwanda’s livestock sector is not only about improving production; it is also about preserving and valuing traditions that form part of the country’s identity.

The Inyambo therefore represents more than a livestock breed. They offered a living connection between Rwanda’s past and its agricultural future.

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Learning Through Experience

For the AFS Kigali delegation, which included a GFAiR representative, the field visit was an opportunity to see agricultural research not as an abstract scientific process, but as a living ecosystem involving researchers, genetic resources, technologies, farmers, institutions, and cultural heritage.