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FAO Regional Office for Africa

World Food Forum - Africa

Hybrid Event, 15/04/2026

The World Food Forum – Africa (WFF–Africa) is a high-level, one-day event convened by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) through its Regional Office for Africa, held on the margins of the 34th Session of the FAO Regional Conference for Africa (ARC34). Held under the theme “Actualizing Agrifood Systems Transformation in Africa: Innovate. Partner. Invest.”, the event will take place on 15 April 2026 at the Palais des Congrès in Nouakchott, Islamic Republic of Mauritania.

WFF–Africa forms part of the global World Food Forum, an annual FAO-led platform that brings together stakeholders to advance agrifood systems transformation through youth engagement, science and innovation, and investment. WFF–Africa aims to strengthen regional ownership and impact by aligning these global priorities with Africa’s specific agrifood challenges and opportunities.

The event will serve as an inclusive and action-oriented platform to accelerate the transformation of Africa’s agrifood systeIts objectives include catalyzing investment, promoting science and innovation, strengthening partnerships, and empowering youth, women, and Indigenous Peoples as key drivers of change. It will also support the development of scalable, country-led solutions and contribute regional perspectives to the global World Food Forum process.

Watch the livestream of WFF-Africa 

Agenda 

World Food Forum - Africa (WFF – Africa)
Wednesday, 15 April 2026
 
Opening Ceremony
Moderator: Abebe Haile-Gabriel
FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Africa
 Agenda Item
09.00 - 09.45
hours 		Opening Ceremony
5 minutes Welcome and Introduction by Abebe Haile-Gabriel, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Africa
10 minutes  Address by Qu Dongyu, FAO Director-General
10 minutes Statement by H.E the Minister of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania
15 minutes Keynote Address: Integrating Investment, Youth Leadership, and Innovation for a Sustainable Agrifood Systems Future in Africa – Charles Spillane, FAO Chief Scientist
09:45 – 10:00 Hours Photo Session
10.00-10.10
Hours 		WFF Video
 
10.10-11.30
Hours 		Session 1: Amplifying youth voices, innovations, and leadership across agrifood systems.
Moderator: Meshack Malo, FAO Deputy Regional Representative for Africa
 
  • Presentation: The youth factor in accelerated agrifood systems transformation, Kazuki Kitaoka, Director, FAO Office of Youth and Women
  • Innovation showcase by young innovators
  • Discussion: Insights on the innovations and how youth innovations could be scale-up.
    • Anny Caroll, Secretary General, African Rural and Agricultural Credit Association (AFRACA)
    • Haroune Sidatt, Agri-Accelerator
  • 2 – 3 interventions from the floor 
11.30 – 12.00
Hours 		Coffee Break
12.00-13.30
Hours 		Session 2: Financing Inclusive Agrifood Systems in Africa: leveraging Hand-in-Hand Initiative’s Regional Experiences for Scalable Investments
 

Moderator: Patrice Talla - FAO Subregional Coordinator for Southern Africa

  • Presentation: Progress and way forward on Hand-in-Hand Initiative, FAO Chief Economist Maximo Torero Cullen
  • Panel Discussion: Linking science and innovations to real-world investment opportunities in agrifood systems
    • Aggrey Agumya, Executive Director, Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA)
    • Abdelilah Belatik, Executive Director of Investment Sector, Arab Authority for Agricultural Investment and Development (AAAID)
    • Susan Payne, Chief Executive Officer, Holistic Planet Ltd, Mozambique
13.30 – 14.30
Hours 		Lunch Break
14.30-15.45
Hours

Parallel Session 1:

Investors Panel: Connecting the dots: Investment cases, financing options, enabling policy environment

Moderator: Bintia Stephen Tchicaya – FAO Subregional Coordinator for Western Africa a.i

Case Studies in Financing Climate-resilient and Inclusive Agrifood Systems:

  • Africa SIDS Hand in Hand Programme: Integrated value chain development, Blue Transformation and Trade in Big Ocean States: Patrice Talla - FAO Subregional Coordinator for Southern Africa 
  • The Sahel: Climate-smart irrigation for Smallholder Agriculture and Market Integration in the Sahel: Abdoulaye Mohamadou Executive Secretary (CILSS)
  • Southern Africa HIH Regional Programme: Sustainable water management, Agroprocessing, Mechanization and Trade in southern Africa: Duncan Samikwa - Senior Programme Officer in the Directorate of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources (SADC)
  • Outcomes of Mauritania Hand-in-Hand Investment Forum – Adema Barry, Technical Advisor to the Minister of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty; Government Focal Point of HIHI, Mauritania
Discussion: Q&A
14.30-15.45
Hours 		Parallel Session 2:
Youth Voices Panel: Science and Innovation as Drivers of Youth Initiatives
Moderator: Athman Mravili, FAO Subregional Coordinator for Central Africa
 

Presentation: How can research, technology, and innovation enhance the sustainability and impact of youth-led initiatives?

  • Dongxin Feng, Director, Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture

Panel Discussion:

  • Tokelo Shai, WFF Youth Policy Board Member
  • Alice Ritho, WFF Kenya National Chapter
  • Almamy Diagana, WFF Mauritania National Chapter
Jyed EL Moubarrack, Institut Supérieur de l'Enseignement Technologique (ISET), 
15.45 – 16.15
Hours 		Interactive Coffee Space
 16.15 – 16.30
Hours

Feedback from parallel sessions

Summary of key insights

  • Youth Voices Panel: Science and Innovation as Drivers of Youth Initiatives: Nomathemba Mhlanga, Agribusiness Officer, FAO Subregional Office for Eastern Africa
Investors Panel: Connecting the dots: Investment cases, financing options, enabling policy environment: Mark Fynn, Policy Officer, FAO Regional Office for Africa
16:30 – 16:45 Hours

Closing Session

Closing remarks - Abebe Haile-Gabriel, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Africa 
17.00 – 17.45
Hours 		Launch of The Status of Women in Agrifood Systems in Sub-Saharan Africa report and Inauguration of the International Year of the Woman Farmer (IYWF) in Africa.
 
 

Moderator, Farayi Zimudzi – FAO Representative in Kenya and FAO Subregional Coordinator for Eastern Africa a.i

Opening remarks: Beth Bechdol, FAO Deputy Director-General

Presentation: Highlights from The Status of Women in Agrifood Systems in Sub-Saharan Africa, Clara Park, FAO Senior Gender Officer.

Remarks on the International Year of the Woman Farmer (IYWF) in Africa

-          Max Choombe, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, Zambia

-          Diane Sibanda, Eastern and Southern Africa Small Scale Farmers Forum – ESAFF

Musa Sowe , Réseau des Organisations Paysannes et de Producteurs de l'Afrique de l'Ouest (ROPPA) 
 

Call to Action

Fatmata Binta, FAO Regional Goodwill Ambassador for Africa

 

Related links
World Food Forum
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Contact
Zoie Jones
FAO Regional Office for Africa - Communications

[email protected]