AGRA

Preamble

1. The Africa Food Systems Forum 2025 (AFSF 2025) convened in Dakar, Senegal, from 31 August to 5 September 2025, bringing together nearly 6,000 participants from 105 countries. The Forum included 2 Heads of State and Government, 6 former Heads of State and Government, 40 Ministers spanning portfolios such as agriculture, energy, youth affairs, livestock, and finance, as well as heads of international agencies, researchers, development partners, private sector actors, farmers, civil society representatives and youth leaders.
2. Hosted under the leadership of H.E. President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, the Forum was infused with the teranga spirit of Senegal – an enduring culture of hospitality, generosity, and solidarity that fostered a vibrant and inclusive atmosphere for dialogue, collaboration, and bold commitments.
3. With the theme “Africa’s Youth: Leading Collaboration, Innovation, and Implementation of Agri-Food Systems Transformation,” the Forum highlighted the pivotal role of youth in driving Africa’s agricultural transformation through leadership, innovation, and delivery. Over 1,500 youth attended the Forum, bringing innovation, ideas and urgency.
4. Anchored in Africa’s broader policy architecture including Agenda 2063, the 10-year CAADP Strategy and Action Plan and the Kampala CAADP Declaration on Building Resilient and Sustainable Agrifood Systems in Africa (2026–2035) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), AFSF 2025 built on the momentum of previous Forums to confront persistent and emerging challenges hampering food systems transformation and to harness new and existing opportunities.
5. AFSF 2025 reaffirmed the Forum’s position as Africa’s premier platform for advancing collaborative action, policy alignment, and investment in food systems transformation, aligning with the continent’s major development frameworks and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
6. The Forum acknowledged a shifting global and regional landscape, including:

• A tightening international financing environment requiring stronger domestic resource mobilization.
• Heightened urgency to address climate vulnerability, environmental degradation, and food system fragility all of which threaten lives, livelihoods and long-term development gains.
• The transformative potential of Africa’s rapidly growing youth population, over 70% of whom are under 30, as entrepreneurs, innovators and decision-makers in the agri-food systems.

6. AFSF 2025 emphasized the urgency of leveraging the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as a historic opportunity to strengthen regional value chains, enhance competitiveness and drive inclusive economic growth especially for smallholder farmers, youth-led agribusinesses, and women entrepreneurs. Improving trade-related infrastructure, harmonizing standards, and reducing barriers to the movement of agricultural goods and services were recognized as critical enablers.
7. Recognizing the urgency to transform Africa’s food systems, the Forum reaffirmed collective commitment to inclusive, sustainable and equitable food systems transformation, with youth leadership and implementation capacity as the driving force.
8. A total of 163 plenaries, sessions, workshops, masterclasses and side events were delivered, focusing on digital agriculture, climate-smart technologies, nutrition-sensitive value chains, and youth-led innovations and policies.
9. Throughout the week, delegates engaged in high-level dialogues, technical sessions, ministerial roundtables, youth-led discussions, innovation showcases and capacity-building masterclasses, advancing a youth-led, innovation-driven and delivery-focused future for Africa’s food systems.

Thematic Platforms Calls to Action

10. AFSF 2025 was anchored in a series of dynamic thematic platforms that brought together diverse voices from across the continent, particularly of the youth and other critical constituencies whose leadership is essential to food systems transformation. The thematic platforms served as engines for shaping the Forum’s agenda of inclusive, innovation-driven and youth-led transformation, and each issued a powerful call to action that offered a roadmap for moving from dialogue to concrete commitments and tangible action.
11. The Forum’s thematic platforms brought together youth, women, farmers, policymakers, researchers, civil society, private sector and other critical stakeholder to shape Africa’s food systems agenda. Each Platform concluded with a call to action that charts a roadmap from dialogue to delivery.

• Youth: The Forum affirmed that youth are not the “next generation” but the generation already transforming Africa’s food systems. Governments, private sector, and partners must move beyond rhetoric to embrace youth-led solutions, create real pathways to decent work, and ensure youth representation in decision-making. Delay risks instability; urgent action could unlock Africa’s greatest opportunity.
• Climate Resilience: Participants emphasized elevating adaptation to equal footing with mitigation ahead of COP30. Priorities include integrating adaptation into national plans, investing in resilient farming, infrastructure, and nature-based solutions, and tripling adaptation finance. Building local capacity, creating green jobs, and strengthening inclusive partnerships were seen as essential to protect the most vulnerable.
• Deals and Financing: The Forum stressed that access to finance is decisive for food systems transformation. Investors, governments, and partners – inside and outside Africa – must expand support to SMEs, especially youth- and women-led enterprises, to scale innovation and impact.
• Digitalization: The Forum highlighted the transformative potential of digital technologies, including AI, to accelerate change. Participants called for integrated, collaborative digital ecosystems that are inclusive, interoperable, and deliver tangible value to farmers and consumers.
• Nutrition and Health: The Forum underscored the urgency of scaling inclusive, nutrition-sensitive food systems that ensure safe, affordable, and healthy diets. Safeguarding Africa’s heritage of nutrient-rich, climate-resilient crops was identified as a priority. Leaders and experts used the Forum to shape a nutrition agenda that saves lives and improves health outcomes.
• Policy and State Capability: Strong institutional capability was reaffirmed as central to delivering CAADP and Kampala Declaration commitments. Investments in leadership, capacity, and accountability frameworks were recognized as critical to accelerate results.
• Sustainable Production: The Forum called for bold, coordinated action to build resilient, regenerative, and equitable food systems. Governments, partners, and the private sector must advance enabling policies, scale agroecological innovations, and mobilize finance. Youth, farmers, and researchers were identified as key actors in driving affordable, scalable solutions.
• Trade and Markets: The Forum emphasized a trade-led transformation of Africa’s food systems through regional food baskets, corridors, and AfCFTA-aligned policies. Strategic investments in infrastructure, harmonized standards, and streamlined customs were highlighted as priorities to strengthen value chains and boost competitiveness.
• Women in Food Systems: The Forum recognized that placing women at the center of food systems is vital for gender equality, food security, and rural growth. Participants called for dismantling structural inequalities, ensuring equitable access to resources, and adopting gender-transformative approaches. Closing gender gaps was identified as a driver of productivity and inclusive development.

Awards and Recognitions

12. AFSF 2025 celebrated excellence in leadership, innovation, and entrepreneurship through a series of high-profile awards that recognized and honoured Africa’s changemakers – especially its dynamic youth leaders who are driving food systems transformation:

• Africa Food Prize: Widely regarded as the continent’s most prestigious award for food systems leadership, the Prize was this year awarded to two remarkable women: Professor Mary Abukutsa Onyango of Kenya and Dr. Mercy Diebiru-Ojo of Nigeria. Professor Abukutsa has shown the world the power of Africa’s indigenous vegetables to fight malnutrition and create resilient livelihoods. Dr. Diebiru-Ojo has transformed cassava and yam seed systems, giving farmers disease-free planting material and higher yields.
• VALUE4HER Women Agripreneur of the Year Award (WAYA): Led by AGRA, the Award celebrated exceptional women across Africa’s agri-business landscape:
  • Mathildah Amollo, Kenya – Grand Prize
  • Juliet Kakwerre N Tumusiime, Uganda – Women Empowerment Champion
  • Julienne Olawolé Agossadou, Benin – Resilient & Inspirational Leader
  • Roberta Edu-Oyedokun, Nigeria – Outstanding Value-Adding Enterprise
  • Joyce Waithira, Kenya – Female Ag-Tech Innovator
  • Onicca Sibanyona, South Africa – Young Female Agripreneur
• GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize: The 2025 GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize Competition attracted over 2000 entries from youth entrepreneurs across Africa. Two Grand Prize winners – Naglaa Mohamed P Vita, Egypt (female category) and Samuel Muyita Karpolax, Uganda (male category) were recognized for their high-impact, scalable agribusiness ventures and received US$ 50,000 each.
• The Impact Award: A total prize of US$ 60,000 was awarded to 4 recipients – Daniel Wa Mukina, DRC; Faïçal Abdoul, Burkina Faso; Editha Mshiu, Tanzania; and Fareeda Mustapha, Ghana – acknowledging their contribution to sustained social, economic, and environmental value delivered through their enterprises.