2024 Africa Food Systems Forum sets out roadmap for improving agricultural production and productivity

The 2024 Africa Food Systems Forum has emerged as a mechanism for the implementation of various initiatives and a tool for action in pursuit of achieving improved agricultural production and productivity and attaining food and nutrition security on the continent.

This was revealed by Dr. Agnes Kalibata, the President of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) on the last day of the 2024 Africa Food Systems Forum that ran from 2 to 6 September 2024 in Kigali, Rwanda.

In her closing remarks, Dr. Kalibata highlighted some of the actions that emerged from the forum that require a follow-up in the coming weeks and months.

AFS Follow-up is a real thing. Beyond the forum, many bilaterals and side meetings took place and she encouraged stakeholders to ensure that they follow up on each of these – in the name of the smallholder farmers and young women and youth who need support.

Below, Spiked Online Media shares some highlights by Dr. Kalibata of what emerged from the forum, proving that stakeholders collectively as a community are being action-oriented:

Seed Systems

• USAID launched their Seed Action Plan which aligns very closely with the AU’s Seed Systems Agenda under the CAADP framework
• The Seed Sector Performance Index 2024, which has 17 indicators across nearly all African countries was launched, giving us a clear basis to measure progress as it will be repeated every 2 years.
• The African Cereal and Legume Breeding Consortium was launched by CGIAR, TAAT, and the African Seed Trade Association to accelerate research on drought and disease-tolerant varieties.

Soil Health

• Following the Nairobi Declaration, the AU 10-year plan launch, and the Africa Soil Initiative launch, in May this year, at this forum and in the run-up, we ran working sessions in each African region with the RECs to develop regional roadmaps for accelerating the goals of the declaration, including on organic and inorganic fertilizer use. These are providing practical next steps for implementation to restore our soils.

Climate Action

• This forum served as follow-up to COP28 for African action, with key action-oriented discussions on the Technical Cooperation Collaborative (TCC) and key programmes around food loss, post-harvest handling, climate-smart practice and climate finance
• An Africa-focused initiative of the Champions 12.3 coalition kicked off focused on private sector-led food loss and waste reduction

Extension

• In extension, the African Extension Initiative was launched to scale up the coordination efforts and investment in African extension systems, including government, public, and private extension delivery services.

Mechanisation

• The Mechanisation coalition was launched to bring together manufacturers, machine providers and machinery leasing providers to scale workable business models to improve access to mechanization by African farmers.

Nutrition

• In Nutrition, GAIN, Zero Hunger and various private sector actors pledged to scale up investment in nutrition-sensitive value chains.
• And Rockefeller and various partners launched the Fortified Wholegrain Alliance, here at the forum.

Financing

• Financing is an area that was highlighted as a red light, needing attention. It was emphasized here that the 4^th CAADP Biennial Review report (2024) showed that no country in Africa is on track to meet financing commitments as yet, even though on the public sector side some countries like Tanzania and Sierra Leone have increased their agriculture budgets massively in the past years.

Women

• We awarded this year’s Women Agripreneur of the Year Award to Effiong Williams for creating 300 full-time jobs and improving the incomes of over 500 farmers from her fruit processing business in Nigeria called Reels Fruit.

Youth

• We had huge participation by youth in this year’s AFS Forum, showcasing youth-led businesses, youth-led advocacy, and youth-led climate action. We had over 1,000 youth at this forum, engaging in most sessions.

Water and Irrigation

• This year the AFS Forum elevated to the fore the issue of water management, awarding the Africa Food Prize 2024 to Tinotenda Mhiko, the CEO of the Zimbabwe Agricultural and Rural Development Authority. Under his leadership, the Authority has turned itself around and become dynamic and effective. Under his leadership the area under irrigation expanded dramatically, growing from 6,000 hectares in 2016 to 10,000 hectares by 2020 and it is on course to hit 15,000 hectares.

Trade, Markets and Finance

• there were work sessions between the Governments of Malawi and Tanzania to finalise the framework for signing a Simplified Trade Regime framework between the two countries.
• Malawi,  Zambia, and Zimbabwe are finalizing mutual recognition agreements to further address non-tariff barriers between the two countries.
• FCDO announced that the new government will focus on economic growth, both in the UK and in particular in Africa. FCDO also announced it recently launched a new funding window worth $50 million to support agri-business access financing to expand production & trade food where it is required.
• IFAD launched its private sector programme, which will prioritise partnerships with private actors and innovative financing mechanisms for the private sector, particularly in Africa where half of IFAD’s global resources are deployed.

SMEs Dealroom

• In the SME dealroom, which took place in room MH4, 33 SMEs from 16 countries pitched their investment projects.
• This includes companies from Senegal, Mali, Tanzania, Nigeria, Rwanda, Central African Republic and South Africa.
• The total investment ask of the companies is $70 million.
• 33 SMEs pitched during the event across around 7 topics, including climate, nutrition, women-led businesses, and innovation. Over 400 combined delegates attended the event.
• THE Forum mobilized 100 individuals from 66 investors. This includes 28 investors who attended the AFSF forum.
• As of 5 September 2024, there were 73 interactions between investors and SMEs, including 62 in-person meetings at AFSF.
• The SMEs have engaged with a combined total of 30 investors.
• Two examples of SME projects are:

1. Edwin Nginya from Narumoro Dairy Farm a dairy company in Kenya looking for $700,000 of debt. Edwin is already in conversation with DFCD, Kampani, Goodwell, Incofin, Acumen, Bamboo Capital, and Grassroots Business Fund.
2. Vincent Dakuyo from CABRE, a processing company in Burkina Faso producing fortified flour that is distributed by the World Food Program to schools and is looking for $1.5 million for CAPEX and working capital. Through the dealroom, he met Sahel Capital and Incofin at AFSF and is in conversation with 4 other investors.

Government Dealroom and Flagships and Legacies

• This is a major area where we ask for development partners, philanthropies, investors, and development financiers to step up, to respond to the asks for investment in flagship and legacy projects and programmes by governments:
  • Zambia presented projects needing $950 million in public and private investment in value chains such as wheat, soybean, poultry, beef, and aquaculture.
  • Ethiopia is calling for $114 million in investment in the Meji Koka integrated commercial farming project, and further investment in the Bulbula Integrated Agro Industrial Park
  • Sierra Leone presented $1.3 billion in tangible investment opportunities in bankable projects in rice, cassava, cocoa, and poultry
  • Cote d’Ivoire presented $8 billion in investment projects in a range of sectors from cassava processing to rice to soybean to potato.
  • Rwanda just this morning presented a call for $800 million in investment for 3 flagship value chains: avocado, chilly, poultry, and also potato.
  • Uganda presented bankable investment opportunities of $105 million in cassava starch, cocoa processing, fruit processing, and instant coffee.
  • Burkina Faso presented a call for a $40m investment in its Fund Dumu Ka Fa for value chain development in livestock and fish, and a $300m investment in an agricultural inputs company.
• It’s time for stakeholders as a community to support, engage and invest.

Leadership

• Finally, there was a 3-day running work session here at AFS Forum for the Center for Agricultural Leadership in Africa with the new cohort of 40 leaders kickstarting the 4^th round of this action-oriented programme.
• And Sierra Leone Government launched its Agriculture Transformation Office to accelerate the implementation of its Feed Salone food systems strategy.

“This is a long list of actions I wanted to highlight – and it is not even comprehensive. The AFS Forum is an action-oriented event. It is not a talk shop. It galvanizes action, holds stakeholders accountable, and it drives progress. Beyond these tangible actions, numerous insightful conversations were moving the discussion forward on topics from AI and digitalisation, through to soil health and natural resource management, nutrition, inclusiveness, youth, and women,” Dr. Kalibata said in conclusion.