AGRF Summit Side events day 4: Journey towards COP28

5 - 8 September 2023. Africa's Food Systems Forum 2023 Summit’s theme, “Recover, Regenerate, Act: Africa’s Solutions to Food Systems Transformation

The AGRF Summit, which takes place from September 5th-8th, is an annual gathering that brings together heads of states and governments, agriculture ministers, members of the civil society, private sector leaders, scientists and farmers in discussions meant to define the future of Africa’s.

Extracts of the main events

08/09 7:00-9:00 : Side event The CAADP Biennial Review Process: Promoting Data Use, Diversity, and Inclusion

The CAADP Biennial Review (BR) has highlighted the enormous demand for timely high-quality data to
guide performance monitoring and decision-making. It has also underscored challenges related to data availability and quality as well as the inadequate utilization of BR data and results

• Dr. Godfrey Bahiigwa, Director, African Union Commission, Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment (AUC- DARBE) 
  
• Dr. Ousmane Badiane (see picture), Executive Chairperson, AKADEMIYA2063 
• Ms. Constance Okeke, Project Manager, ActionAid International and CAADP Non State Actor Group (CNG) 
• Prof. Joao Mutondo, Faculty of Agronomy and Forest Engineering, Eduardo Mondlane University, Mozambique 
• Ms. Josephine Love, Principal Agriculture Officer, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives, Kenya 
• 
  Dr. Boaz Keizire, Head of Policy, Advocacy and Food Systems, AGRA
  
• Dr. Samuel Benin, Deputy Director, Africa Office, IFPRI
• Ms. Tsitsi Makombe, Director, External Relations, AKADEMIYA2063 
• Dr. Augustin Wambo Yamdjeu, Director, Knowledge Systems, AKADEMIYA2063

08/09 7:00-9:00 : Side event to discuss 'OneHealth for Food Systems Transformation

Food systems are often described as the single biggest contributor to complex global health challenges for people, animals, plants, and the environment through pollution, ecosystem degradation, greenhouse gas emissions, land and water use, chemical use, unhealthy and unsafe diets, animal welfare concerns, infectious disease risks, and biodiversity loss. 

The collaborative, multisectoral, transdisciplinary and systems focused nature of One Health allows it to make important contributions to the functioning of food systems and health through infectious disease prevention, surveillance and control, ensuring

food safety along food value chains in both formal and informal settings, and animal welfare in food production systems. 

• Moderator – Dr. Namukolo Covic (see picture), Director General's Representative to Ethiopia, ILRI 

I. Keynote presentations on One Health for Food Systems Transformation

• 
  Dr. Johan Swinnen,  (see picture), DG, IFPRI/CGIAR [Food Systems] 
• Mr. Martien Van Nieuwkoop, Global Director, Agriculture and Food Global Practice, World Bank [One Health]
• Government of Tanzania [Tanzania’s One Health Platform] 

II. Panel Discussion 

• Dr. Johan Swinnen, DG, IFPRI/CGIAR [Food Systems] 
• 
  Mr. Martien Van Nieuwkoop, Global Director, Agriculture and Food Global Practice, World Bank 
• Dr. Godfrey Bahiigwa,  (see picture), Director of Agriculture and Rural Development,  (AUC- DARBE)
• Mr. Vine Mutyasira, Program Officer, Policy Quantitative Modelling and Data Analytics, AGRA 
• Dr. Iain Wright, Deputy Director General, ILRI 

Summary/conclusion: 

• Dipti Thapa or Francisco Obreque, World Bank 
• Michael Victor, ILRI

08/09 09:00 - 11:30 : Plenary Session title: Journey towards COP28: Adapting Africa’s Food System to Climate Change

This plenary session explored the impact of climate change on food systems in Africa, the policy responses needed to ensure food security and action required for resilient food systems in the face of these challenges. This session builds on the Climate Action Summit and provides key recommendations as well as Africa’s position on food systems and climate nexus for COP 28.

• Moderator Mr. Jeff Koinange, Anchor/Talk Show Host
  
• Framing remarks Dr. Agnes Kalibata, President, AGRA and Special Envoy for the 2021 Food Systems Summit
• 
  Keynote Speech H.E. Mariam Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, UAE
  

Roundtable 1: Food Systems into National Plans and Implementation Mechanisms

The first roundtable discussed the importance of incorporating Food Systems into National Adaptation and mitigation plans, Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and other national strategies. 

• Dr. Johan Swinnen, Director General, Managing Director of Systems Transformation, CGIAR and Director General, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
• Hon. Lee White, Minister of Water, Forest, Sea and Environment, Gabon
  
• Ms. Cristina Duarte, UN USG, Special Advisor on Africa
• Hon. Selemani Saidi Jafo, Minister of State, Office of the Vice President Union and Environment, United Republic of Tanzania
  
• Dr. Mithika Mwenda, Executive Director, Pan African Climate Justice Alliance
• Moderator Mr. Daouda Sembene, CEO, AfriCatalyst (former Executive Director, IMF)

Roundtable 2: Future Proofing and Financing Food Systems

The  second roundtable focused on solutions to improve the resilience of food systems, including sustainable agriculture practices, innovative technologies, and improved supply chains.

• Mr. Abdulmajid Musa Nsekela, CEO, Cooperative and Rural Development Bank (CRDB), Green Finance, Tanzania
• Mr. Martien Van Nieuwkoop, Global Director for Agriculture and Food, World Bank
• Ms. Ann Vaughan, Senior Advisor for Climate Change, Bureau for Resilience and Food Security, USAID
• Mr. Tabi Joda, Lead, One Billion Trees for Africa Great Green Wall
  
• Closing remarks Ms. Nadine Gbossa, Director, Food Systems Coordination, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)

Roundtable 3: Finance

Lastly, the third roundtable, explored the financing needed to support these solutions, including public and private sector investment, and access to climate finance. 

08/09 09:00 - 11:30 : Sustainable Livestock and Pastoralism Transformation

This session provided a forum for governments, producer organizations, research and academic institutions, development agencies, civil society organizations and private sector to engage in dialogues on innovations and food systems pathways to efficiently produce more nutritious, safe and accessible animal source foods with a reduced environmental footprint, and contribute to vibrant local and diversified livestock systems that are more resilient to shocks and disruptions in Africa.

• Moderator Ms. Zuhura Yunus, Director of Presidential Communications, Tanzania State House
• Hon. Abdallah Ulega, Minister of Livestock and Fisheries, United Republic of Tanzania
• Dr. Shirley Tarawali, Chair, Global Agenda for Sustainable Livestock & DDG, ILRI

Roundtable 1 Sustainable Livestock Transformation

• Dr. Babafemi Oyewole, Chief Executive Officer, PAFO
• Hon. Fred Bwino Kyakulaga, Minister of State for Agriculture, Animal Industry & Fisheries, Republic of Uganda
• Mr. Jean Baptiste HATEGEKIMANA, President of Continental Executive Committee, African Youth in Livestock, Fisheries and Aquaculture Incubation Network (AYL-FAIN)
• Dr. Nyabenyi Tipo, Representative to Tanzania, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

Roundtable 2 Supply and Demand of Animal Sourced Food

• Dr. Anthony Whitbread, Director of the Sustainable Livestock System program, ILRI
• Mrs. Margaret Munene, CEO, Palmhouse Dairy, Kenya
• Dr. Juliana Kantengwa, Founder, Wood Valley Organics
• Ms. Emmastella Gakuo, COO, Savannah Circuit, Kenya
• Mr. Jay Waldvogel, Senior Vice President Strategy and International Development, Dairy Farmers of America, and Chair, Dairy Nourishes Africa for Global Dairy Platform
• Ms. Prudence Masako, Country Director, CARE Tanzania

08/09 09:00 - 11:30 :Food Systems in a time of Crisis: Youth Refugees, Migrants and displaced people as part of the solutions

This session shared impactful stories on how the inclusion of young the refugees, migrants and displaced in Agri-Food Systems have helped to address urgent food demand and long-term recovery process and development in a humanitarian and post conflicts and climate crisis context.

• Moderator Ms. Vanessa Adams, Vice President Strategic Partnership and CoP for Inclusive Agricultural Transformation in Africa, AGRA

Panel Discussion 1

• Mr. Stanlake Samkange, Senior Director for Strategic Partnerships, WFP
• Ms. Ada Osakwe, Managing Partner, Agrolay Ventures, AGRA Board Member, & Youth Ambassador Generation Africa
• Ms. Alice Nzamukosha, Vice President of Zone 2, CODIGA Cooperative
• Mr. Bernard Hien, Regional Director, West and Central Africa Division, IFAD
• Mr. Ahmed Madobe Nunow, Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation of the Federal Republic of Somalia
• Ms. Lian Biar Kuoirot Deng, NextGen Ag Impact Network, South Sudan (VIDEO)

Panel Discussion 2

• Hon. Ms Josephine Joseph Lagu, Minister, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security in South Sudan
• Mr. Kayitare Shema, Vice President of the Cooperative, CODIGA Cooperative
• Mr. Mahadi Hasan TUSHAR, NGIN Ambassador and Regional External Relations Coordinator, IAAS Asia Pacific
• Mr Anthony Mhagama, Programme Manager, IUCNClosing RemarksMr. Zlatan Milisic, UN Resident Coordinator, Tanzania

08/09 09:00 - 11:30 : Green Financing Framework for Food Systems Transformation

In the wake of the Paris agreement, green financing mechanisms were heralded as a crucial pathway to support climate change mitigation and safeguard global food systems. To effectively protect food systems and build resilience, there is an urgent call for governments, international organizations, and private sectors to reinvigorate their commitments, channeling substantial resources into green financing initiatives that promote sustainable agriculture, biodiversity conservation, and equitable access to nutritious food.

• Moderator Dr. Geeta Sethi, Advisor, Global Agriculture Practice, World Bank

Panel 1 Discussion

• Mr. Ibrahima Cheikh Diong, United Nations Assistant Secretary General (UN-ASG) and Director General (GDG), African Risk Capacity Group
• Hon. El Sayed el Quseir, Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, Egypt
• Hon. Mudrick Ramadani Soraga, Minister, Ministry of Labour, Economy and Investment Zanzibar, United Republic of Tanzania
• H.E. Mohamed Beavogui, Former Prime Minister of Guinea and Special Envoy for the 13th Replenishment of IFAD
• Mr. Bhupen Dubey, CEO, Advanta Seeds
• Mr. Maurits Waardenburg, Co-Leader of McKinsey partnership with the Hydrogen Council, McKinsey & Company
• Ms. Hope Murera, CEO, COMESA Insurance

Panel 2 Discussion: Green Banking

• Mr. Kenneth Davis Kasigila, Head of Policy Advisory and Climate Finance, CRDB Bank
• Dr. Peter Umunay, Senior Environmental Specialist, Global Environment Facility (GEF)
• Mr. Juan Lucas Restrepo, Director General, Alliance of Biodiversity International and the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT)
• Dr. Conrad Rein, Director of Policy Outreach, Innovation Commission, Development Innovation Lab (DIL)
• Hon. Emmanuel Mpawe Tutuba, Governor of the Bank of Tanzania
• Mr. Boleslaw Stawicki, Country Director, Tanzania, IFAD, Tanzania