Sierra Leone Agrifood Investor Summit brings together financiers and domestic firms to mobilize private capital for the sector

The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security of Sierra Leone gathered more than 25 international and regional investors along with over 60 domestic agrifood firms in Freetown for the Sierra Leone Agrifood Investor Summit from 28 to 30 October 2025. 

The Summit hosted international and regional agrifood firms, development finance institutions and impact funds, alongside Sierra Leonean enterprises operating across priority value chains including rice, cassava, cocoa, cashew nuts, poultry and feed grains (maize and soya), forestry, and palm oil. 

The Investment Centre of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), with financing from the EU through the Sustainable Agrifood Systems Intelligence (SASI) Initiative, provided technical assistance and contributed to the organization of the event, mobilizing international and regional investors and facilitating dialogue with Sierra Leonean agrifood firms, along with other partners. 

FAO Representative in Sierra Leone Saeed Abubakar Bancie addressing the audience. © Seyestar studios

In opening the Summit, His Excellency Dr Julius Maada Bio, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, highlighted the country’s vast agrifood investment opportunities, underpinned by strong political commitment, abundant natural resources, and an improving business environment. 

The Government aims to increase domestic food production and reduce imports by 25 percent within the next five years. “Through our President’s flagship initiative, Feed Salone, we are mobilizing both public and private investment to boost productivity, value addition, and inclusive growth across the agrifood sector," Dr. Henry Musa Kpaka, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, said.  "We want to send a clear signal that Sierra Leone is open for business – ready to partner with investors and agrifood companies to scale production and strengthen food systems.” 

Through interactive panel discussions and networking sessions, participants explored investment opportunities, policy incentives, and potential returns in Sierra Leone’s growing agrifood sector. They were complemented with field visits to agrifood firms in the country. 

Panel discussions emphasized the opportunities and challenges in key value chains. Highlights included focusing on rice, which is grown by around 80 percent of Sierra Leone’s households. Produced with increased modern technology, in higher quantity and better quality, it could substitute imports. The country is the second-largest exporter of organic cocoa to the European Union, and the cocoa value chain presents growing opportunities for investment in local processing. Sierra Leone’s extensive forest cover, favourable soil, and tropical climate with abundant annual rainfall provide suitable conditions for sustainable forest plantations and agroforestry systems. 

Transforming food systems relies on strong partnerships – a principle that guided the collaboration around the Investor Summit. The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security worked with FAO, the European Union, the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, British International Investment, the Africa Resilience Investment Accelerator, and Invest Salone, to put the event together. 

“The country has immense potential to transform its agrifood systems sustainably," Saeed Abubakar Bancie, FAO Representative in Sierra Leone, highlighted.  "FAO, in collaboration with the European Union and others, is supporting the Government to implement the Feed Salone strategy by providing technical expertise to translate this vision into concrete actions.” 

Since 2021, under the SASI Initiative, the FAO Investment Centre, FAO Sierra Leone and the European Union have provided technical support to the government to translate high-level institutional support and interest into concrete policies and programmes for sustainable agrifood systems transformation. The Investment Centre leverages FAO’s technical, analytical, data and policy expertise to promote public and private investment.  

“The SASI initiative in Sierra Leone works hand in hand with the European Union Delegation to support the Government in mobilizing financing and investment needed for sustainable and inclusive growth,” Alessandro Marini, Chief of the West and Central Africa Service at the FAO Investment Centre, said. “Sierra Leone serves as an example of how to translate national food systems pathways into concrete investments consistent with national priorities.” 

Investors and partners visiting a greenfield project by Shankerdas Group, a family-owned manufacturing company based in Sierra Leone. © Seyestar studios