Eastern Africa charts bold path to accelerate agrifood systems transformation

Participants at a regional meeting on food systems transformation have outlined a clear roadmap to accelerate agrifood systems transformation in Eastern Africa, with a strong focus on incentives, innovation, coordination and institutional strengthening.

Reviewing progress across countries including Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, national food systems conveners and FAO focal points agreed to explore ways to incentivize the private sector, smallholder farmers and consumers, while forging stronger financing, collaboration & knowledge exchange mechanisms to accelerate actions to meet national commitments over the remaining five years to 2030.

Turning the tide

In her keynote, delivered by Yergalem Beraki, FAO Uganda Representative, a.i., Farayi Zimudzi, FAO Subregional Coordinator for Eastern Africa and Representative to the AU and UNECA, a,i. and FAO Representative in Kenya, highlighted the urgency of action, noting that the subregion remains a global hunger hotspot.

“Today, one in four people in Eastern Africa goes hungry, with nearly 130 million people, which is about 26 percent of the population is affected.” she said.

She emphasized the need for transformative, climate-resilient solutions to ensure the availability and accessibility of safe, nutritious food, while responding to rapid population growth projected to rise from 522 million in 2026 to 855 million by 2050.

Dr. Olivier Kamana, Permanent Secretary of Rwanda's Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI), noted that achieving sustainable food systems requires addressing several persistent challenges, including climate change, limited land availability, soil fertility degradation, and poor post-harvest management.

“Addressing these challenges requires coordinated actions, investment in research and innovation, and strong collaboration between governments, development partners, the private sector, and farming communities,” he said.

Closing implementation gaps

Welcoming participants, Mohamed Aw-Dahir, FAO Representative in Rwanda, underscored that transforming food systems is central to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

However, he noted that findings from the UN Food Systems Summit +2 Stocktaking Moment show that many countries still face challenges in translating commitments into action.

“Gaps remain in institutional coordination, policy alignment, financing and technical capacity,” he said. “Addressing these requires stronger collaboration, knowledge exchange and accelerated implementation.”

About the workshop

The regional workshop, organized by FAO Subregional Office for Eastern Africa, was held from 27 to 28 March 2026 under the theme: “Accelerating food systems transformation in Eastern Africa: experiences, best practices and the way forward.” The workshop provided a platform for countries to review progress and challenges; share lessons and best practices and agree on priority actions to fast-track implementation to 2030. It was held under the project “Strengthening Institutions and Systems to Accelerate Agrifood Transformation in Eastern Africa,” which focuses on closing implementation gaps and strengthening institutional capacity to deliver on national food systems commitments.