Africa Food Systems Forum 2024: side events

 

2 - 6 September 2024. Kigali Rwanda. 

Africa Food Systems Forum 2024

The Africa Food Systems Forum is the world largest annual summit on agriculture and food systems on the continent. This year, the annual summit will spotlight the continental agenda on food systems, showcase innovative approaches, solutions, proven business models, best practices and latest technologies that could transform agriculture and food systems to ensure food and nutrition security in Africa while creating jobs and opportunities youth and women.

See programme book 129 pp

Side events AFS 2024 - extracts

• See also: CGIAR Speaking Engagements in the Main Program
• See also: Events IFDC is Participating In
• See also: the AFDB will host three (in person and life streaming) side events: a high-level side panel discussion on post-Dakar 2, a session on Advancing the Food Systems for Africa through the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) and the Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils, and an event on investing in fertilizers and soil health.
• See also: Ban Ki-Moon (BKMC) side events

02/09 @ 7:00 am - 13:00 pm CAT/CEST Post AFSH Round Table

• Following the successful African Fertilizer and Soil Health (AFSH) Summit 2024, this event will focus on the practical implementation of the AFSH Action Plan (AP) and Soil Initiatives for Africa (SIA).

02/09 @ 7:00 am - 8:30 pm CAT/CEST Innovations for African Soil Health

• Sebastian Nduva, AfricaFertilizer Lead, will be speaking in Interactive Panel Discussion #1: Data and Technology Innovations for Soil Health moderated by Leigh Ann Winowiecki, IFDC board member, Global Research Lead for Soil and Land Health at CIFOR-ICRAF, and co-founder of the Coalition of Action 4 Soil Health (CA4SH).

02/09 September @ 10:45 AM-11:45 AM. CAT/CEST. Mobilizing Investments For Equitable, Sustainable, and Nutritious Food Systems in Africa

• Participating Organizations: IFDC, AGRA, Zero Hunger Private Sector Pledge, New Partnership For Africa’s Development (NEPAD), the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), and the Access to Nutrition Initiative.

02/09 @ 09:30 CEST/CAT. SAA side event. Transformative initiatives shaping food systems across Africa

• Organised by Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA)
• Drawing on key insights from projects such as the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) funded Kano Agropastoral Development Project, SAA initiatives, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation-funded Building an Economically Sustainable Integrated Cassava Seed System (Phase 2), Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT), African Development Bank projects, AGRA projects in Nigeria, and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) projects.

02/09 @ 9:45 am – 11:15 am CEST/CAT Irrigation Policy and Investment post-Malabo

• This event will kick off the “African Irrigation Policy Dialogue Series: Supporting food security, nutrition and climate resilience in the post-Malabo Agenda” with a broad series of partners, including AUC, AMCOW, IWMI, Akademiya2063, FAO, USAID, the AfDB, the World Bank and others. 
• This kick-off event will identify key topics for discussion in the Irrigation Policy Dialogue Series and will discuss key areas for support on irrigation development.

02/09 @11:45 - 12:45 CAT/CEST AFDB Side Event 1: Innovate, Accelerate and Scale: Delivering food systems transformation in a digital and climate era

• This event will bring together representatives from governments, the private sector, multilateral organizations, development partners, civil society, and researchers to discuss priorities, alignment of investment projects and mobilization of financing for the Country Food and Agriculture Delivery Compacts.
• Watch the life streaming

02/09 @ 13:45 - 14:45 CAT/CEST AFDB Side Event 2: Investing in fertilizer and soil health

• A Roundtable that will bring together high-level government officials, development organizations and industry professionals to mobilize investments in fertilizer and soil health by contributing to the roadmap to a stronger Africa Fertilizer Financing Mechanism, and securing African government commitments to implement supportive policies.

02/09 @ 13:45 – 14.45 CEST/CAT. IFPRI Side Event: China’s role in Africa Food System Transformation

• with James Warner, Research Fellow/Program Leader, Rwanda, IFPRI-Rwanda
• Clemens Breisinger, Senior Research Fellow/Program Leader, Kenya Strategy Support Program, IFPRI

02/09 @ 15:00 - 16:00 CAT/CEST. AFDB Side Event 3: Advancing the Food Systems for Africa through the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) and the Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils (VACS)

• Discussions focused on facilitating dialogue and collaboration between the African Development Bank and the Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils(link is external) (VACs), highlighting the role of the VACS and the African Development Bank, particularly TAAT, in advancing Africa’s food systems.
• See live streaming below

02/09 @ 15:00 – 16:30 CEST/CAT. IFPRI Side Event | African Leadership on Healthy Diets

• This event will bring together leaders, stakeholders and experts across Africa’s agri-food systems to address critical issues such as healthy diets, food loss and waste, with a focus on collaborative approaches to transforming Africa’s food systems for improved nutrition. The discussions will draw on key findings and learnings from the National Planning Commission, Government of Malawi, IFPRI’s 2024 Global Food Policy Report, USAID, and the Feed the Future Food Systems for Nutrition Innovation Lab (FSN-IL) at Tufts University.
• The event will explore evidence-based strategies to increase the supply, affordability, and consumption of safe, healthy diets in Africa’s evolving agri-food systems. It will also highlight the importance of understanding and addressing food loss and waste to enhance nutrition outcomes and ensure sustainable food system transformation in the region.
• Panel Discussion: Namukolo Covic, Director General’s Representative to Ethiopia, CGIAR Ethiopia Country Convenor and CGIAR Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) ; Representing IFPRI

02/09 @ 15:00 – 16:30 CEST/CAT. Climate Smart Finance to Boost Resilience

• This session organized by the BKMC, German Development Cooperation (GIZ), CGIAR, IFAD, ADA and Varaha will shed light on the innovative solutions to improve access to climate finance. 
• Both scientific and farmer voices will be heard to ground discussions with descriptions of the real and urgent needs for finance to support the resilience of agri-food systems.
• See livestream on YouTube
  
  

02/09 @ 15:00 – 16:30 CEST/CAT. Meaningful Youth Engagement in Agri-Preneurship

• This session organized by the BKMC, SNV, AGRA, Netherlands Food Partnership, Mastercard Foundation Fund for Resilience and Prosperity, Action on Food and YPARD, will feature stories of youth from the agri-food sector on how climate impacts on Africa’s agricultural sector can be addressed through locally-led adaptation initiatives.

02/09 @ 17:00 to 18:00 CEST/CAT. IFAD side event. Emerging Technology for Rural People

• This session, co-led by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Asian Development Bank, and the Innovation Lab of the Inter-American Development Bank, will explore the transformative potential of open innovation collaboration. 
• It will highlight impactful interventions such as TRACE blockchain, AgroWeb3 powered by LACChain, and the Africa Rural Climate Adaptation Finance Mechanism. and Highlight how regional actors can leverage the multiplier effect of open innovation collaboration through initiatives like the Moonshots for Development Alliance.

03/09 15:00 PM-16:30 CAT/CEST Plenary Session: Follow-Up of the Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Summit

• In this plenary session, Henk van Duijn, IFDC President and CEO, will join experts as a speaker to discuss key outcomes and next steps following the Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Summit.
• Participating Organizations: IFDC, African Fertilizer and Agribusiness Partnership (AFAP), African Union, International Fertilizer Association (IFA), Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Sustain Africa, OCP Group, Yara, Dangote Fertiliser Limited, Bayer, Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Institute (ATI).

03/09 16:30 to 18:00 (CAT) ECOWAS Side Event on Scaling Investments for Rice Self-Sufficiency

As part of its ongoing efforts to achieve rice self-sufficiency in West Africa, the ECOWAS Rice Observatory, in collaboration with AfDB, JICA, AGRA, and the World Bank, is organizing this side event to delve deeper into the innovative solutions, investment
opportunities, and policy frameworks that are essential for transforming the rice sector in our region.

04/09 @4, 08:00-10:00 CAT/CEST Partner Side Event Food Systems National Convenors – Pivotal role in acceleratingthe transformation of Africa’s food systems Jointly organised by the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub and AGRA

• This side event is organized as part of ongoing engagement and collaboration to support National Convenors. 
• It takes place at a pivotal moment when the consolidation of country-specific operational frameworks and the activities of National Convenors is crucial. This timing is particularly significant as the continent embarks on a comprehensive and inclusive review of the CAADP-Malabo framework and the development of the post-Malabo CAADP.

04/09 @ 16:00 to 18:00 CEST/CAT. IFPRI Side Event. Harmonising actions: How Africa’s food future can benefit people, climate, and biodiversity

• Organized by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and CGIAR’s Nature Positive Solutions
• Sedi Boukaka, Research Coordinator, IFPRI: Nature-Positive Solutions: Evidence on smallholder farmers and nature-positive production from Kenya baseline survey

05/09 @9:00 am – 10:00. CEST/CAT. IFPRI Side Event | Crafting Food System Investment Pathways

• Organized by IFPRI, AGRA, and International Development Research Centre (IDRC)
• John Ulimwengu, Senior Research Fellow, Development Strategies and Governance Unit, IFPRI

05/09 @10:15 AM-12:00 CAT/CEST Investing in Soil Health to Feed a Continent

• Leigh Ann Winowiecki, IFDC board member and co-founder of CA4SH, will be a panel member to explore strategies for improving soil health across Africa.
• Participating Organizations: Coalition of Action for Soil Health (CA4SH), the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), AGRA, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, CIFOR-ICRAF, SNV, Bayer, OCP Africa, IKEA Foundation, and the Southern African Confederation of Agricultural Unions (SACAU).