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Nairobi, 1 September 2021 – The 2021 AGRF Summit will take place from 7^th to 10^th September 2021, hosted by the Government of Kenya under the leadership of President, H.E Uhuru Kenyatta.

As part of the contributions to the UN Food Systems Summit (UNFSS), this year’s AGRF Summit, under the banner “Pathways to recovery and resilient food systems”, aims to elevate the single coordinated African voice to the UNFSS and identify immediate actions and steps that need to be taken to accelerate progress and recovery towards inclusive agricultural transformation.

What: The AGRF 2021 Summit

When: 7-10 September 2021

Where: Hybrid – physical (invitation only at Serena Hotel, Nairobi Kenya) & virtual

How:Register here to receive updates on the AGRF Summit and to join via link

Confirmed high-level speakers at the AGRF 2021 Summit include:

1. H.E. Uhuru Kenyatta – President of the Republic of Kenya
2. H.E. Hailemariam Dessalegn – Former Prime Minister of Ethiopia & Chair of AGRF Partners
3. Dr. Agnes Kalibata – President, Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA)
4. Dr. Gilbert Houngbo – President, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
5. Mr. William Asiko – Managing Director, Rockefeller Foundation’s Africa Region Office
6. Mr. Mark Meassick – Mission Director, USAID Kenya
7. Ms. Jamie Anderson – Senior Financial Sector Specialist, Rural & Agricultural Livelihoods, CGAP/ World Bank Group
8. Prof. Joachim von Braun – Chair, UN Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) Scientific Group
9. Dr. Beth Dunford – Vice President Agriculture, Human and Social Development, African Development Bank
10. Dr. Lawrence Haddad – Executive Director, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN)
11. Dr. Simon Winter – Executive Director, Syngenta Foundation
12. Mr. Ayodeji Balogun – Chief Executive Officer, AFEX Commodities Exchange, Nigeria
13. Mr. Peter Bakker – Chief Executive Officer, World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD)
14. Mr. Kofi Kisiedu Acquaye – Africa Coordinator, Young Professionals for Agricultural Development (YPARD)
15. Mr. Yassine Cherkaoui – Vice President, Strategy, Innovation and Analytics, OCP
16. Mrs. Fernanda Lopes Larsen – Executive Vice President Africa & Asia, Yara International

Below are highlights of some discussions that will take place in key plenary sessions during the Summit.

Conference highlights

1. Parallel sessions – Parallel sessions will advance AGRF’s ten thematic platforms, which have been prioritized for delivery under its current strategy against its goals
2. Food systems pathways – This session features fascinating headliners and thought-provoking plenary sessions focusing on food systems pathways, and perspectives from regional dialogues from East, South, Central, West and North Africa.
3. Special Events – These are designed to showcase ideas and trending innovations by the youth, farmers, and business leaders.
4. VIP Events – AGRF 2021 will feature Heads of State, high-level delegates and eminent thought leaders discussing status of food systems in Africa and the urgent need to transform.
5. Participatory Events – During the midday break, you can stretch your world and interact with the exhibition space and engage in participatory events. 
6. Commitments Showcase – 15-minute highlights from AGRA countries’ value chain projects, and partners reflecting initiatives, returns on investment, and commitments.
7. Deal Room – Throughout the week, the AGRF Deal Room will be operating with opportunities to interact, or pick through our Content Library, find inspirational materials, and spaces for participant voices.
8. Food Systems Innovators – A series of 5-minute videos played during the bridge segments each morning. Each clip will feature a different African innovator with an emphasis on women, youth, and SMEs.  

Journalists are advised to register to attend the summit and to receive daily highlights and invitations to daily press conferences.

To follow the Summit virtually please register here – AGRF 2021 Summit

Due to COVID-19 restrictions in-person attendance by invitation only

For interview requests and more information on the Summit please contact:

AGRF Media Hudson Sandler – agrf.media@hudsonsandler.com

Tel: +254 727 641 921

Tel: +254 703 516173

Tel: 254 721 226 406

Follow summit highlights on:

• Facebook: The AGRF
• Twitter: @TheAGRF
• YouTube: AGRF Forum

About the AGRF

The AGRF is the world’s premier forum for African agriculture, bringing together stakeholders in the agricultural landscape to take practical actions and share lessons that will move African agriculture forward. Under AGRF’s current strategy, the Forum is particularly focused on driving progress of the Malabo Declaration by 2025 as the priority set of commitments African Heads of State and Government have made to strengthen agricultural development at the center of the continent’s overall development and progress. The AGRF is organized by the

AGRF Partners Group, a coalition of institutions that care about Africa’s agriculture transformation. For more information, visit: https://agrf.org/.

About the AGRF Partners Group 

The AGRF Partners Group is made up of 26 leading actors in African agriculture all focused on putting farmers at the center of the continent’s growing economies. Members include: African Development Bank (AfDB), African Fertilizer and Agribusiness Partnership (AFAP), African Union Commission (AUC), Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), Bayer AG, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, CGIAR System Organization, Corteva Agriscience, Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), Government of Rwanda, Grow Africa (AUDA-NEPAD), Heifer International, IKEA Foundation, International Development Research Center (IDRC), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Mastercard Foundation, OCP Group, Rockefeller Foundation, Southern African Confederation of Agricultural Unions (SACAU), Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH), Syngenta Foundation, The Tony Blair Institute, UPL Limited, US Agency for International Development (USAID), Yara International ASA.