The Africa Food Systems Forum: The Billion-Dollar Question for Africa’s Smallholder Farmers

Over 15 years, the Africa Food Systems Forum has evolved from a bold idea into a powerhouse for agricultural transformation, mobilising billions in investment and now empowering the next generation to lead the charge.

By Anthony Muchoki

The Africa Food Systems Forum (AFSF) stands today as the continent’s most influential gathering on agriculture, a vibrant, dynamic platform that has consistently evolved to meet Africa’s most pressing challenges. From its early days focused on sparking a Green Revolution to its current role as a comprehensive architect of sustainable food systems, the Forum’s journey is a story of remarkable growth, strategic adaptation, and unwavering commitment to unleashing Africa’s agricultural potential.

What began as a series of foundational meetings in Oslo, hosted by Yara International, took a historic step in 2010 when it moved to Accra, Ghana. Rebranded as the African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) and chaired by the venerable Kofi Annan, this move signaled a new era of African-led transformation. The goal was clear: to create a premier platform where public and private sectors could unite to catalyze investment and drive progress on the ground.

Laying a Foundation for Growth (2010-2015)

The early years were dedicated to building momentum and institutional architecture. While no summit was held in 2011, the inaugural Accra summit in 2010 successfully raised approximately $69 million in new funding and established the Forum as a high-level political event. In Arusha (2012), the AGRF aligned with the G8’s “New Alliance for Food Security,” cementing its influence in the international development landscape and inspiring host-country reforms in Tanzania.

The Forum’s focus sharpened in Maputo (2013) with an emphasis on “inclusive agribusiness” and the launch of the first annual Africa Agriculture Status Report (AASR), now a flagship knowledge product. A pivotal moment came in Addis Ababa (2014), where the AGRF fully aligned with the African Union’s landmark Malabo Declaration, positioning itself as the key platform for implementing the continent’s own ambitious goals. This was followed by the Lusaka summit (2015), which powerfully turned the spotlight on the critical roles of youth and women, mobilizing new financial commitments and partnerships to support them.

A Decade of Catalytic Investment and Impact (2016-2023)

The 2016 AGRF in Nairobi was a watershed moment. Celebrating AGRA’s 10th anniversary, the summit theme “Seize The Moment” culminated in the announcement of an unprecedented $30 billion in investment pledges over the next decade from a coalition of global partners. This monumental commitment solidified the Forum’s reputation as the premier platform for agricultural investment in Africa.

The following years saw a deliberate drive to translate these high-level commitments into tangible action:

• Abidjan (2017): The first summit in Francophone Africa secured nearly $6.5 billion in new investments for West African value chains and launched the $280 million Partnership for Inclusive Agricultural Transformation in Africa (PIATA).
• Kigali (2018): A major shift toward accountability brought the launch of the AU’s Agriculture Transformation Scorecard and the formalization of the Agribusiness Deal Room—a dedicated matchmaking platform that has since facilitated billions in investment opportunities.
• Accra (2019): With a focus on digital transformation, the Forum saw the Mastercard Foundation announce its landmark $500 million “Young Africa Works” program, a testament to the growing focus on youth-led agribusiness.
• Kigali (2020): In a remarkable display of resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Forum pivoted to a virtual format, achieving unprecedented reach with over 10,400 delegates from 154 countries. Its prescient theme, “Feed the cities, Grow the continent,” galvanized consensus on strengthening urban food systems, while the Agribusiness Deal Room presented $4.7 billion in investment opportunities. The summit also announced Rwanda as the long-term “home country” for the Forum.
• Nairobi (2021): Adopting a hybrid format, the summit strategically positioned itself to shape global policy. It successfully consolidated a “single coordinated African voice” ahead of the UN Food Systems Summit, a major political achievement. The forum highlighted over $12.5 billion in planned funding to 2030, including a $10 billion facility from the African Development Bank and a $1 billion fund from the IKEA and Rockefeller Foundations.
• Kigali (2022): The first summit under the new Africa Food Systems Forum (AFSF) brand marked a move toward more granular commitments, with governments pledging budget increases and the private sector committing to greater local sourcing.
• Dar es Salaam (2023): This summit pioneered a powerful new model, galvanizing $600 million in support of Tanzania’s “Building Better Tomorrow” legacy program, a concrete initiative set to empower 1.6 million youth and support 200,000 new businesses.

The Future is Youth-Led: Dakar 2025 and Beyond

Looking ahead, the Forum is poised to enter its most exciting chapter yet. The 2025 AFSF in Dakar, Senegal, under the leadership of H.E. President Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar FAYE, is themed “Africa’s Youth Leading.” This is more than a theme; it is a declaration of intent to place the continent’s greatest asset—its young people—at the very heart of its food systems transformation.

The Dakar summit aims to integrate youth into every political and financial commitment, fostering innovation for a more productive, resilient, and sustainable future. With a focus on collaboration and implementation, AFSF 2025 is set to build on a powerful legacy, ensuring that the seeds of progress planted over the last 15 years yield a bountiful harvest for generations to come.

Dakar 2025: A Glimpse into the Future

The AFSF 2025 summit in Senegal is designed to be an immersive and action-oriented experience, with a special focus on empowering young leaders. Highlights include:

• The Youth Dome: A dynamic launchpad for youth-led solutions, fostering innovation and employment through live pitches, mentorship, and high-level dialogues.
• The Investment Room: A high-impact matchmaking platform connecting governments, SMEs, and investors to close deals and showcase scalable national strategies and bankable projects.
• Innovation Showcases: From the Agri-Food Expo featuring new technologies to the GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize Competition, the summit will be a hub of groundbreaking ideas.
• Practical Learning: The Knowledge Hub will offer masterclasses on practical skills, while sessions like “Making Money from Agribusiness” and “Scaling through Social Media” will equip young entrepreneurs with tangible tools.
• Inspiration and Culture: The Culinary Village will celebrate Africa’s rich food heritage, while TEDx talks and the AFSF Awards will honor African excellence and inspire bold action.
• Grassroots Connection: Curated Field Visits in Senegal will provide delegates with firsthand insight into innovative startups, farmer cooperatives, and agritech projects driving transformation on the ground.

Now, the billion-dollar question remains for Africa’s tens of millions of smallholder families—the very people who cultivate up to 80% of the continent’s food. While monumental pledges are made in gleaming conference halls, these farmers remain on the front lines, battling a brutal cycle of agricultural poverty, unpredictable weather, and the persistent spectre of hunger.

Their expectation is not for grand strategies, but for tangible change: a loan that arrives on time, a seed that can withstand the drought, a fair price at the market, a future for their children. The ultimate, provocative test for the Africa Food Systems Forum is whether the billions pledged, the innovations showcased, and the youth-led energy harnessed in Dakar will finally break this paradox. The true measure of its success will not be counted in the value of deals signed, but in the dignity and prosperity cultivated on the continent’s smallest farms.