AGRA

The Africa Food Systems Forum 2024, under the theme “Accelerate, Innovate and scale,” is fast approaching. The annual summit will bring together diverse stakeholders, including world leaders, investors, academia, farmer organisations, and the private sector, to highlight innovations, technologies, best practices, business models, policy delivery mechanisms, and investments to accelerate food systems transformation in Africa and beyond, with particular focus on youth and women.

AGRA is set to play host to various side events during the summit:

Monday, 2^nd September 2024:

• Session on Data-Based Evidence to Reform the Seed Sector in Africa: This event serves as a knowledge-sharing platform and peer review mechanism to showcase and learn from the findings of the Seed Sector Performance Index (SSPI) Report, 2023.

Keynote speaker: Prof. Ed Mabaya, Chief Scientific Advisor, TASAI

Panellists: Dr. George Bigirwa, Director CESSA, AGRA; Dr. Ishiak Khalid, Director National Agricultural Seed Council of Nigeria; Dr. Yacouba Diallo, Secretary General AFSTA; Dr. Ian Baker, Senior Director of Strategy, Delivery and Scaling of the One CGIAR; Dr. Abdulrazak Ibrahim – Director, African Union Council (AUC).

• CALA Harnessing Digital Technologies and Sustainable Practices for Resilient Food Systems in the Face of Climate Change.

The 2024 CALA Leadership Forum (LF) will take place in parallel with the African Food Systems Forum (AFSF) and serve as the inaugural in-person meeting for incoming CALA Cohort 4 delegates. The theme of this year’s AFSF, Innovate, Accelerate and Scale: Delivering food systems transformation in a digital and climate era, underscores the urgent need to radically transform African food systems to enhance local food production, bolster resilience to climate change, uplift African livelihoods, and harness the continent’s potential to tackle global challenges.

• Mobilising Private Sector Investment to End Hunger and Enhance Nutrition in Africa: This event aims to raise awareness among private sector actors and other stakeholders about the need to invest in food and nutrition to accelerate global efforts to end hunger and improve nutrition outcomes.

Speakers: Bertha Mkandawire, AGRA; Dr Lawrence Haddad, GAIN; Ms Betty Kibaara, The Rockefeller Foundation; Ms Siny Samba, Le Lionceau; Mr. Wenslars Bahati AGRIFACE

• Transforming Food Systems through Mechanisation: Under the theme “Innovative and Inclusive Mechanisation: Building Collaborative Ecosystems for Africa’s Agricultural Transformation,” this event kicks off AGRA’s Mechanisation4Africa Coalition, which aims to create an enabling ecosystem for smallholder farmers by making mechanisation services accessible, affordable, and commercially viable.
• Practical Next Steps for Implementation of the African Fertiliser and Soil Health Action Plan and Soil Initiative: This workshop, convened by the Coalition of Implementors for Fertilizers and Soil Health, AGRA, and the Joint Development Statement Partners, will build on the momentum generated through various summits and declarations. The event will discuss practical steps to implement the action plan and soil initiative.

Speakers: Ms Josefa Leonel Correia Sacko, Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment (ARBE) of the African Union Commission; Ms Nardos Bekele-Thomas, CEO, African Union Development Agency-NEPAD (AUDA-NEPAD); Dr. Agnes Kalibata, President of AGRA; Dr. Zachary Stewart, USAID (Representative of Joint Development Statement Partners); Mr. Henk van Duijn, IFDC (Representative of Coalition of Implementors for Fertilisers and Soil Health)

Tuesday, 3rd September 2024:

• Africa Agriculture Status Report (AASR) Launch: The event will be launched during the opening ceremony. It will feature a keynote presentation of the key findings, followed by a panel discussion and ribbon-cutting by dignitaries.

Speaker: Prof. Thomas Reardon, Chema Triki

• VALUE4HER Women Agripreneurs of the Year Awards (WAYA) Reception: This networking reception will introduce the 2024 finalists to partners and women leaders in agribusiness and recognise the panel of judges.

Speakers: Dr. Agnes Kalibata, AGRA President; Prof. Hamadi Boga, VP Programme Delivery, AGRA; Ms Dina Esposito, USAID Assistant to the Administrator; Ms Jeniffer Ramnath, Chief Digital and Information Officer, Mastercard Foundation; Ms Delphine Traore, AGRA Board Member & CEO SanlamAllianz General Insurance

• The ECOWAS Rice Event will be convened by the ECOWAS Rice Observatory. It will delve deeper into specific topics of Rice sector development in West Africa, facilitate networking, share knowledge and best practices, and highlight innovative projects or initiatives on rice that align with the main conference themes. The side event will provide the first opportunity to discuss the “regional rice roadmap” outside the ERO membership and stakeholders.

Wednesday, 4th September 2024:

• Women Leaders’ Forum and VALUE4HER Women Agripreneurs of the Year Awards (WAYA) Ceremony: Dedicated to promoting and advancing women’s leadership in Africa’s nutrition agenda, food systems, and agricultural sector, this session will empower women through dialogue, sharing best practices, and networking. The session will culminate in the awarding of the most outstanding women agripreneurs of 2024.

Speakers: Dr. Agnes Kalibata, AGRA President; Hon. Sam Kawale, Minister of Agriculture Malawi; Ms Jeniffer Ramnath, Chief Digital and Information Officer, Mastercard Foundation

Thursday, 5th September 2024:

• VALUE4HER Dealroom Knowledge Session: This session, themed “Mobilising Catalytic Investments and High-Value Markets for Women in Agribusiness,” will explore investment models that work across the continent to increase women’s access to finance and the nexus between capital investments and market access.

Speakers: Ms Nana Amoah, Director Gender, Youth & inclusiveness, AGRA; Ms Mary Boote, Vice Chair International Agri-Food Network; Ms Mumbi Maina, Senior Access to Finance Officer, International Trade Centre; Ms Robynne Anderson, Director General International Agri-Food Network; Mr. Daniel Njiwa, Director of Inclusive Markets, Trade & Finance, AGRA; Ms Victoria Sabula, CEO, Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF); Mr. Jean Bosco Iyacu, CEO, Access to Finance Rwanda; Ms Affiong Williams, CEO, ReelFruit Nigeria; Prof. Hamadi Boga, Vice President, Programmes Delivery, AGRA

Friday, 6th September 2024:

• Panel Session on Innovative Business Models to Drive Mechanisation in Africa: This discussion will explore scalable, innovative business models, financial schemes, and interventions across geographies. The panel will also discuss creating an enabling ecosystem to make mechanisation accessible, affordable, and commercially viable, and how mechanisation can enhance the resilience of African value chain actors.

Speakers: Hon. Dr. Ildephonse Musafiri, Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Rwanda; Mr. Chris Brett, Lead Agribusiness Specialist WorldBank; Mr. Jehiel Oliver, CEO Hello Tractor; Mr. Paul Christoper Richards, CEO AgLease Zambia; Mrs. Ruramiso Mashumba, Africa Lead Global Farmer Network; Mr. Ibrahim Maigari, Tech Entrepreneur Nigeria; Dr. YanJia, SSC Officer, WFP China/COE; Tasin Seket, Group Managing Director, CMC Motors Group.