By: Kebba Ansu Manneh in Dakar, Senegal
President Basirou Diomaye Faye of Senegal presided over the official opening of the Africa Food Systems Forum (AFS) in Dakar on Monday, September 1, 2025, calling on African stakeholders to take a leading role in addressing food security challenges and strengthening the continent’s food systems. The forum, a premier gathering of public and private sector leaders, policymakers, researchers, and youth champions, is themed “Africa’s Youth Leading Collaboration, Innovation, and Implementation of Agri-Food Systems Transformation.”
In his keynote address, President Faye emphasized Africa’s potential to overcome food insecurity, highlighting the continent’s abundant land and vibrant youth population. However, he noted that Africa still struggles to feed itself, underscoring the need for stakeholders, including policymakers, advocates, and civil society, to advance the goals of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP).
Faye urged African youth to drive innovation, technology, and mechanization to achieve food security, particularly addressing the challenges faced by women and youth reliant on outdated farming tools with limited results.
Rwandan President Paul Kagame, also in attendance, echoed Faye’s call for increased investment, knowledge sharing, and empowerment of youth and women. Kagame highlighted Rwanda’s progress through partnerships with the International Financial Corporation (IFC) and the Howard Buffett Foundation, which have provided training and financial support to over 170,000 farmers, covering 80,000 hectares. “These projects have benefited young farmers, smallholder farmers, and those now seeing tangible results,” Kagame said. He also spotlighted the Rwanda Institute of Conservation Agriculture, a collaboration with the Howard Buffett Foundation, which trains 60% Rwandan and 40% other African students, equipping them with entrepreneurial skills and financing opportunities upon graduation. Kagame challenged African youth to seize opportunities proactively, stating, “Youth must not sit back and wait for someone else to resolve Africa’s problems.”
Madam Alice Ruhweza, President of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), expressed gratitude to Senegal for hosting the forum and described it as a critical platform to accelerate Africa’s food system transformation. “We gather not only to discuss but to connect, celebrate progress, forge partnerships, and inspire transformative ideas,” she said. Ruhweza highlighted advancements such as smallholder farmers adopting drought-resistant seeds, mobile-based market tools, and smart irrigation systems, alongside women taking leadership roles in agriculture. However, she acknowledged persistent challenges, including millions facing hunger, malnutrition, and Africa’s $70 billion annual food import bill. She stressed the need to address unemployment among youth and infrastructure gaps to realize the continent’s food systems’ potential.
Ruhweza called for unified action behind the Kampala Declaration and CAADP, which aim to increase agri-food output by 45%, reduce post-harvest losses, triple intra-African trade, mobilize $100 billion in investments, and achieve zero hunger while empowering women and youth. “We must translate commitments into action, domesticate the Kampala Declaration in national strategies, and increase public investment in agriculture,” she urged stakeholders, including governments, private sectors, researchers, and farmers.
Other notable speakers, including former Ethiopian Prime Minister H.E. Hailemariam Desalegn and representatives from the African Union (AU) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), reinforced the call for investment, knowledge sharing, and skills development to achieve food security. The forum showcased innovations at the Agri-Food System Expo, featuring agribusiness startups, digital platforms, and sustainable farming practices reshaping African agriculture.
The Africa Food Systems Forum 2025 serves as a pivotal platform for collaboration, bringing together diverse voices to address the continent’s food security challenges. With Africa’s youth at the forefront, the forum aims to inspire actionable solutions and partnerships to transform food systems, aligning with the continent’s broader agricultural and economic goals.
As President Faye and other leaders emphasized, the path to a food-secure Africa lies in empowering its youth, leveraging technology, and fostering collective commitment to sustainable progress.
