AGRA

Dar es Salaam Tanzania / Washington DC, USA, 12 December 2022 – Tanzania will host the AGRF 2023 Summit, the announcement was made by Her Excellency Samia Suluhu Hassan, the president of the United Republic of Tanzania and H.E Hailemariam Dessalegn, the Chair of the AGRF Partners Group on the sidelines of the U.S. Africa Leaders’ Summit currently taking place in Washington, DC. 

The AGRF, Africa’s Food Systems Forum, is the premier platform for advancing the agriculture and food systems agenda on the continent; from food security to agri-food investments. The annual Summit convenes leaders, policymakers, scientists, heads of governments and private institutions, farmers, and the youth in the agriculture and food systems landscape to discuss and agree on practical actions and solutions that drive Africa’s food security and better livelihoods for all. 

The 2023 Summit aspires to position Africa as the place for innovation, investments, and to advance a stronger more diverse, and resilient food system. The Summit will look to energize and spotlight continental progress beyond the call for aid. The Summit will showcase Africa’s solutions to Africa’s food systems transformation while spotlighting leadership, accountability, inclusion and investment opportunities in Africa in general and in Tanzania in particular. 

Tanzania will be the first country to host the AGRF Summit since the forum was rebranded to Africa’s Food Systems Forum in 2022 as a reflection of the partnerships’ ambition to move forward the transformation of Africa’s food system and sustain engagement year-round.

In her remarks, Her Excellency Samia Suluhu Hassan welcomed agriculture and food systems experts, investors and stakeholders from across Africa and beyond to Tanzania for the Summit and emphasized the importance for Africa to lead on its food security for national and continental development. She highlighted that Africa’s food security can collectively be attained if all parties join hands to advance localized solutions that drive prosperity for all urging the youth to participate in agriculture to enable faster growth of the continent’s growth.

“I am pleased to announce, that Tanzania has been selected to host the AGRF 2023 Summit. This important Forum will bring together global and local voices, will highlight investment opportunities and will be looking to do business. We must chart ways to  protect our people from the current drought and climate change impacts and we must make it possible for investments to move into this important sector. 

“I have no doubt, that this Summit will provide actionable solutions for the continent and our people,” President Samia said.

H.E. Hailemariam Dessalegn congratulated and recognized Tanzania’s leadership in advancing food security and shared his appreciation to President Samia for hosting the AGRF 2023 Summit. 

“The AGRF, Africa’s Food Systems Forum 2023, comes at an integral time when the continent, battered by the effects of climate change, is coming together to find solutions that safeguard lives and livelihoods. It is commendable that Tanzania is developing a national blueprint to drive its economy forward and food and agriculture will play a huge role in ensuring the country’s prosperity. We urge all stakeholders ahead of the Summit to kickstart these vital discussions and conversations while surfacing innovative ideas that can be shared and deployed across the continent.” 

The AGRF 2023 builds on the AGRF 2022 hosted by the Government of Rwanda in Kigali. It was attended by more than 2700 delegates In-Person and over 4000 online. In 2023, the AGRF secretariat and partners will build on the conversations, agreements, and critical decisions from the AGRF 2022 Summit through in-country meetings and roadshows with leaders, farmers, and the youth.  The Summit is expected to convene critical voices in Tanzania with the aim of strengthening Africa’s food systems transformation through consensus.

ENDS

Catherine Ndungu- Senior Communications Officer, AGRF
+250791568865 cndungu@agra.org

Media contact – agrf-media@hudsonsandler.com
Evelyne Wangui – +254 726 087 451

About AGRF 

The AGRF, recently rebranded to Africa’s Food Systems Forum, is the world’s premier forum for African agriculture, bringing together stakeholders in the agricultural landscape to take practical actions and share lessons that will move African agriculture forward. Under AGRF’s current strategy, the Forum is particularly focused on driving progress of the Malabo Declaration by 2025 as the priority set of commitments African Heads of State and Government have made to strengthen agricultural development at the center of the continent’s overall development and progress. The AGRF is organised by the AGRF Partners Group, a coalition of institutions that care about Africa’s agriculture transformation.   
https://agrf.org

About the AGRF Partner’s Group 

The AGRF Partners Group is made up of 26 leading actors in African agriculture all focused on putting farmers at the center of the continent’s growing economies. Members include: African Development Bank (AfDB), African Fertilizer and Agribusiness Partnership (AFAP), African Union Commission (AUC), Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), Bayer AG, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), CGIAR System Organization, Corteva Agriscience, Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), Government of Rwanda, Grow Africa (AUDA-NEPAD), Heifer International, IKEA Foundation, International Development Research Center (IDRC), International Fund  for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Mastercard Foundation, OCP Group, Rockefeller Foundation, Southern African Confederation of Agricultural Unions (SACAU), Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH), Syngenta Foundation, The Tony Blair Institute, UPL Limited, US Agency for International Development (USAID), Yara International ASA.