Africa Food Systems Forum 2023: Dar es Salaam Gathers 4000+ Delegates to Address Africa’s Food Systems Transformation Goals.
- Tanzania’s agriculture minister, Hon. Hussein Bashe said this year’s summit will place emphasis on women and youth empowerment
- The summit will set the ground for a coordinated African voice ahead of the 28th Climate Change Convention (CoP28)
Dar es Salaam, September 4, 2023 – The 13th annual Africa Food Systems Forum is set to convene in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania from September 5-8, 2023, under the leadership of H. E President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
Under the theme ‘Recover, Regenerate, Act: Africa’s Solutions to Food Systems Transformation’ the event will bring together over 4,000 delegates, leaders, and innovators from across the globe in discussions around policy breakthroughs and innovation in agriculture and food systems transformation.
The country’s Minister of Agriculture, Hon. Hussein Bashe, emphasized that the Forum represents a significant milestone in the journey towards inclusive and sustainable food systems transformation throughout the continent.
“This year’s summit places a strong emphasis on empowering women and youth, recognizing their pivotal roles in reshaping Africa’s food landscape,” he said, during a press conference at State House, where he also officially welcomed delegates to the country.
In his speech, the Minister touched on how Tanzania is working to address food security and job creation through the “Building a Better Tomorrow: Youth Initiative for Agribusiness (BBT-YIA),” initiative, which aims to provide agribusiness training to 200,000 youth, and support to 15,000 youth-led agribusiness ventures in Tanzanian villages over the next five years.
Aligning with these initiatives, Africa Food Systems Forum 2023 will specifically address the optimization of youth employment within Africa’s food systems, while showcasing the innovative agribusiness ventures driven by young entrepreneurs.
Amath Pathe Sene, the Managing Director of the Africa Food Systems Forum, underscored the pressing need for leadership and inclusion in tackling the continent’s food system challenges.
“It is imperative that we make our voices heard, develop solutions that are rooted in our local context, and give paramount importance to the empowerment of women and youth in the process of transforming our food systems,” he said.
In addition to driving conversation and action around Africa’s food system transformation, Africa’s Food Systems Forum 2023 will also build momentum for impactful dialogue ahead of the 28th UN Climate Change Conference (COP 28) in Dubai, through a strong call for a coordinated African voice in climate action.
Key highlights of the Dar summit include: thematic plenary sessions with expert speakers, a ministerial roundtable involving 81 ministers, and a high-level session, where Heads of States will make commitments to advance Africa’s Food Systems transformation.
For detailed information on the agenda and speakers, please visit https://agrf.org/summit/2023/
About Africa Food Systems Forum
Africa Food Systems Forum is the world’s premier forum on African agriculture and food systems, bringing together stakeholders to take practical action and share lessons that will move African food systems forward.
