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With research staff from more than 60 countries, and offices across the globe, IFPRI provides research-based policy solutions to sustainably reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition in developing countries.

Erick Boy

researcher spotlight

Erick Boy

Erick Boy is the Chief Nutritionist in the HarvestPlus section of the Innovation Policy and Scaling Unit. As head of nutrition for the HarvestPlus Program since 2008, he has led research that has generated scientific evidence on biofortified staple crops as efficacious and effective interventions to help address iron, vitamin A, and zinc deficiency in sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and South Asia.

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events

Africa Food Systems Forum 2025 Summit

Africa’s Youth: Leading Collaboration, Innovation and Implementation of Agri-Food Systems Transformation

Dakar

Senegal

August 31 to September 5, 2025

  • 9:00 – 5:00 pm (Africa/Dakar)
  • 5:00 – 1:00 pm (US/Eastern)
  • 2:30 – 10:30 pm (Asia/Kolkata)
Information
Presentations

The Africa Food Systems Forum will host its annual summit in Dakar, Senegal, from August 31 to September 5, 2025.

Africa’s Food Systems Forum, formerly AGRF, is the world’s premier forum for African agriculture and food systems, bringing together stakeholders to take practical actions and share lessons that will move African food systems forward. Africa Food Systems Forum is designed to energize political will and advance the policies, programs, and investments required to achieve an inclusive and sustainable food systems transformation.

For more information about AFSF, please click HERE.

August 31, 2025

From Research to Impact: Aligning CGIAR and TAAT Innovation Pathways with CAADP | Special Event | 9:30 – 12:00 (Africa/Dakar) | Location: Thematic Hall 

This high-level special event will spotlight the growing synergy between CGIAR’s portfolio and Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) in advancing agricultural transformation across Africa. Set against the backdrop of the continent’s renewed commitment to the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), the event will explore how coordinated innovation pathways are being scaled to support national and regional food systems priorities. The CAADP agenda, launched under the African Union’s NEPAD framework, provides a strategic roadmap for accelerating agricultural growth, reducing hunger and poverty, and improving food and nutrition security. Its latest iteration—the Kampala CAADP Strategy—emphasizes science, innovation, youth inclusion, gender equity, and climate resilience as drivers of sustainable transformation. 

September 1, 2025

African Food Systems Year in Review: Holding ourselves accountable, how much have we progressed? | Plenary Session | 15:00 – 17:00 (Africa/Dakar) | Location: Main Hall

How do we measure our progress and hold ourselves accountable? This powerful plenary celebrates the rapid evolution of Africa’s food systems while calling for greater investment in the people driving change on the ground. We will champion and support Africa’s primary implementers, youth, women, smallholder farmers, and local leaders, who are turning ambition into tangible action. Through compelling personal stories and high-level reflections, this session spotlights real-world progress in scaling digital tools, embedding climate-smart practices, and advancing inclusive business models. Discover how game-changing platforms like the Africa Agriculture Status Report (AASR) are fostering data-driven leadership. Join this rallying call to ensure the people closest to the challenges are placed at the absolute center of the solutions.

Launch of the Africa Agriculture Status Report (AASR) – Starters and Drivers of Change and Innovations

  • John M. Ulimwengu, Senior Research Fellow, Development Strategies and Governance Unit, IFPRI

September 2, 2025

Country-Owned Financial Intelligence and Food Systems Financing Strategies: Pioneering a 3FS Africa Community of Practice (3FS CoP) under Kampala | AFSF Special Event | 14:30–16:00 (Africa/Dakar) | Location: Thematic Hall

This session will spotlight the state of development finance and domestic resource mobilization for food systems in African countries, benchmarking progress since the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit. IFAD, AKADEMIYA2063, and IFPRI will release comprehensive data intelligence on external development financing directed at African countries for food systems, covering the period before and after 2021. It shows that Africa remains the top recipient of development financing for food systems, which has grown amid rising pressures. Yet, the continent still lags in mobilizing resources—both domestic and international—at the scale required to transform its food systems. Discussions will address key questions: How much development finance is directed to African food systems? What is being financed? What types of instruments are used—ranging from grants to concessional loans? And what are the implications of current shifts for national financing strategies?

Framing Presentation – Africa Report – Launch of the Africa Report on External Development Financial Flows to Food Systems by IFAD, IFPRI, and AKADEMIYA2063; presentation of key findings and implications

  • John M. Ulimwengu, Senior Research Fellow, Development Strategies and Governance Unit, IFPRI

Deep Dive 1 – Panel – High-level discussion with ministers and institutional leaders on the state, stakes, and pathways forward in food systems financing, including audience Q&A

School Meals – Transforming Local Food Systems | Senegal Pavillion Session | 15:00 – 16:00 (Africa/Dakar) | Location: Senegal Pavillion

Co-organized by the Initiative Prospective Agricole et Rurale (IPAR), IFPRI, and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC)

This side event explores how school meal programs can serve as powerful levers for building resilient and inclusive agrifood systems in Africa. By creating demand for indigenous, climate-resilient crops and promoting regenerative agriculture, school meals offer a unique opportunity to improve both nutrition and environmental outcomes. The session will showcase evidence and case studies from multiple African countries, demonstrating how school feeding initiatives are being used to advance gender equality, youth empowerment, and local procurement at national scale. It will also provide a platform for dialogue among stakeholders from research, policy, civil society, and the private sector to identify concrete pathways for scaling up sustainable school meals across the continent. Ultimately, the event aims to foster collective action and policy innovation to transform food systems from the ground up—starting with schools.

IFPRI Speaker

Roundtable: Parliamentarians’ Forum | 16:30 – 18:00 (Africa/Dakar) | Location: Oval Room

After nearly two decades of CAADP implementation, Biennial Review reports indicate that Africa is not on track to meet the Malabo Declaration targets by 2025. As the continent transitions from the Malabo phase, focus shifts to the Kampala CAADP Strategy and Action Plan (2026–2035), which prioritizes agrifood systems transformation as central to Africa’s economic agenda. Given the complexity of agrifood systems, an inclusive and coordinated approach is essential to ensure all stakeholders understand the Kampala framework, their roles, and the need for adequate resource allocation.

Presentation

  • John M. Ulimwengu, Senior Research Fellow, Development Strategies and Governance Unit, IFPRI

Artificial Intelligence Driven Agricultural Advisory | AFSF Side Event | 18:00 – 19:30 (Africa/Dakar) | Location: Hall B – Knowledge Hub – Stage 1

Co-organized by Yara International (YARA), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI), Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF)

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a promising new tool that can be made easily accessible to access knowledge. Natural language interfaces can overcome digital and language divides. AI reasoning can improve decision making. Integration of localized weather, soil information, and market information enables tailored advice for individual farmers. However, there are risks such as trust, biases, hallucinations, and costs for scalability and sustainability. With robust governance and guardrails in place, AI can improve small-scale producer profitability and agricultural productivity across Africa. Join this side event to learn the latest AI developments, see examples of successful AI solutions and discuss the pressing governance issues around AI in African food systems.

IFPRI Panelist

September 3, 2025

Launch of the 2025 Global Food Policy Report | AFSF Side Event | 8:30am – 10:00am (Africa/Dakar) | Location: Knowledge Hub, Stage 1, CICAD

Co-Hosted by IFPRI and the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA)

This high-level side event at the 2025 African Food Systems Forum will launch IFPRI’s 2025 Global Food Policy Report and convene African ministers, policymakers, researchers, and food systems leaders to explore lessons from past policy choices and priorities for the future. Anchored in the 2025 Kampala Declaration’s call for resilient and inclusive agrifood systems, the event will focus on advancing equitable livelihoods—particularly for youth, women, and vulnerable groups—while also addressing broader challenges around sustainability, governance, and investment. Through keynote speeches, report presentations, and a ministerial panel, the session will spotlight emerging approaches, cross-sector coordination, and the strategic pivot to a food systems approach across the continent.

We gratefully acknowledge the generous support of the European Commission, the Gates Foundation, and the Rockefeller Foundation for sponsoring this IFPRI side event at the Africa Food Systems Forum. Their commitment to advancing food security and sustainable development is instrumental in fostering meaningful dialogue and collaboration.

Moderator and Welcome Remarks

Keynote Session: Why does advancing diversity and inclusion matter for African food systems transformation?

  • Significance of the Kampala Declaration and the new ten-year CAADP agenda for advancing diversity and inclusion in African food systems: H.E. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, Former President, Tanzania
  • Opportunities and priorities for boosting youth engagement in food systems: Esther Kimani, CEO and founder, Farmer Lifeline Technologies, Kenya

Launch of IFPRI’s Global Food Policy Report (Presentation)

GFPR regional chapter on Africa: Key findings and strategic directions for 2026-2035

  • Steven Were Omamo, Director, Development Strategies and Governance (DSG); Director for Africa, IFPRI

GFPR Thematic Insight on Inclusion: gender, nutrition, social protection, extension (Presentation)

High-Level Panel Discussion

Concluding Remarks and Key Takeaways

  • Alice Ruhweza, President, Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA)

Celebrating 50 Years of Impact: IFPRI and the Future of African Food Systems | AFSF Special Event | 15:30 – 17:30 (Africa/Dakar), networking reception to follow | Location: Hall B (Special Events)

IFPRI’s 50th anniversary offers an opportunity to reflect on the Institute’s enduring contributions to food systems thinking and transformation—globally and across Africa. From early work on food security measurement and agricultural policy reform to today’s cutting-edge research on food systems, governance, trade, resilience, and nutrition, IFPRI has helped shape how food systems are analyzed, understood, and improved.

Africa has always been central to IFPRI’s mission. With active country strategy support programs, regional initiatives, and growing partnerships across the continent, IFPRI continues to play a vital role in helping African governments, institutions, and communities navigate urgent challenges—from climate shocks, economic disruptions, and conflict to urbanization, malnutrition, and agrifood modernization.

This high-level event, to be held on the margins of the African Food Systems Forum in Dakar, will showcase IFPRI’s contributions to African food systems transformation and spark forward-looking dialogue with African and global partners on the path ahead.

We gratefully acknowledge the generous support of the European Commission, the Gates Foundation, and the Rockefeller Foundation for sponsoring this IFPRI special event at the Africa Food Systems Forum. Their commitment to advancing food security and sustainable development is instrumental in fostering meaningful dialogue and collaboration.

Opening Remarks

The Productivity Imperative: Lessons from a Decade of Research (Presentation)

Markets, Trade, and Value Chains: Connecting Farmers to Opportunities

Natural Resources: Preservation and Access

Nutrition Transformation in African Food Systems (Presentation)

Resilience and Recovery at the Crisis-Food Systems Nexus (Presentation)

Discussant Reactions

  • Francine Picard-Mukazi, Director of Partnerships, Shamba Centre for Food and Climate
  • Fadel Ndiame, Executive Director, Partnership for African Social and Governance Research (PASGR)
  • Ones Karuho, Senior Advisory & Head, Resilience and Food Systems, World Food Programme (WFP)
  • Tadele Fayso Ergetw, Director, Agriculture and Agrifood Systems, Program Impact Support and Advisory, Mastercard Foundation
  • Willis Omondi Ogutu, Public Government Affairs Manager Africa, Bayer East Africa Ltd.

Closing Reflections

  • Steven Were Omamo, Director, Development Strategies and Governance (DSG); and Director for Africa, IFPRI
  • Andrew Jamali, Director, Knowledge and Learning and Food Systems Coordination Focal Point, National Planning Commission, Malawi

Moderator

September 4, 2025

Can AI Empower Youth Futures? | Arbre à Palabres Session | 11:00am – 11:30am (Africa/Dakar) | Location: Hall E – Exhibition Hall – Arbre à Palabres & Culinary Village

Co-organized by IFPRI and Farm Radio International (FRI)

How can new advances in artificial intelligence—especially voice technologies—amplify youth voices and create more inclusive food systems? This side event brings together researchers, digital innovators, and young leaders to explore the intersections of AI, language, and livelihoods. Drawing on recent research from IFPRI and implementation experience from Farm Radio International, the session will spotlight both emerging opportunities and unresolved tensions in using AI to support youth in agriculture. From speech recognition tools for lowresource languages to participatory design methods in radio-based advisory systems, we ask what it will take to ensure these technologies are truly empowering

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