The transformation towards sustainable and resilient agrifood systems in Africa requires integrated solutions and competent professionals that possess technical and functional capacities, as well as multi-disciplinary and transdisciplinary competencies, and easy access to the relevant and latest scientific and technical information. 

In this context, FAO participated in the 18^th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) in Harare, Zimbabwe, 12-16 December 2022, on the theme “Strengthening Africa’s Agri-food Systems in the Post COVID-19 Era – Opportunities and Challenges”, and shared with the participants information on its approach to capacity development, e-learning courses and methodologies, and digital scientific and technical information resources available through the Access to Global Online Research in Agriculture (AGORA) programme of the Research4Life initiative.

FAO’s participation in the RUFORUM AGM included presentations on the FAO elearning Academy and FAO approach to capacity development, and an exhibition stand that received many visits and more than 200 inquiries to obtain additional information and resources from visitors to the stand including University Vice-Chancellors, Principals and Deans, lecturers, researchers, graduate, and post-doctoral students coming from RUFORUM member universities across Africa.

At the exhibition stand, FAO promoted its eLearning Academy courses, e-learning methodologies, capacity development good practices, and access to AGORA/Research4Life digital resources.

The FAO elearning Academy supports FAO member countries through capacity development interventions and offers over 500 multilingual self-paced elearning courses free of charge, as a global public good.

FAO’s goal is to achieve food security for all and ensure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives, and therefore supports Member countries by strengthening their capacities to achieve their own goals in food security, nutrition, and agricultural development. Among others, this is achieved through strengthening the human capital, institutions, and policies and legal frameworks through various capacity development modalities that include technical support, South-South and Triangular Cooperation, Training of Trainers, study visits, and support to multi-stakeholder platforms, among many others.

Recognizing the critical role high-quality scientific information plays in advancing higher education and improving academic research, FAO facilitates access to a wealth of information on food and agriculture. In particular, Research4Life and AGORA offer free or low-cost access to major subscription-based scientific journals and e-books in food, agriculture, fisheries, nutrition, veterinary science, environmental science, and related social sciences.