Panorama
KIGALI, September 1, 2026 — Africa must significantly increase investment in its food systems to unlock jobs, strengthen nutrition, expand value addition and build resilience to climate change, Prof. Jean Jacques Muhinda, AGRA’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, has said.
Speaking in an interview on the sidelines of the Africa Food Systems Forum (AFSF) 2026 in Kigali, Muhinda said the forum provides a critical opportunity for governments, development partners, investors, private-sector actors and young people to take stock of progress and agree on practical actions to accelerate Africa’s food systems transformation.
The 2026 gathering comes as AGRA marks 20 years of advancing agricultural transformation in Africa, creating a moment to reflect on the progress made while identifying what must be done to take the continent’s food systems to the next level.
“Looking back from where we started 20 years ago, from agricultural transformation to African food systems, you can see huge and tremendous transformation that has happened,” Muhinda said.
He pointed to increased agricultural production, growing value addition, expanding trade and broader markets as some of the gains achieved over the past two decades.
However, he cautioned that Africa still faces significant gaps, particularly in mobilising the capital required to respond to rising demand.
“We are so happy from where we came from 20 years ago, but we still have a long way to go,” he said. “Every time when we meet, we talk about: can we invest, can we bring more capital into the sector and take it to the next level?”
The theme of AFSF 2026 places investment mobilisation at the centre of discussions, with particular attention to job creation, nutrition, infrastructure and climate resilience.
Muhinda said the forum has evolved beyond simply discussing agricultural challenges to becoming a platform where stakeholders align priorities, make commitments and hold one another accountable.
“When we discuss about a summit like this, it creates a moment of recommitment and regrouping, where different partners come to align their priorities, land their investment, and set the next target together,” he said.
Putting youth at the centre
One of the defining features of this year’s forum, according to Muhinda, is the prominent participation of young people.
He said youth must be placed at the centre of Africa’s food systems transformation because agriculture and related value chains offer some of the continent’s greatest opportunities for employment and entrepreneurship.
“The uniqueness of this summit this year is that we have brought participants and delegates from all categories,” Muhinda said. “The big proportion of the delegates currently is youth. We are going to put the youth in the centre of the conversation.”
For AGRA, this emphasis comes as the organisation reflects on two decades of work while looking toward the next phase of Africa’s agricultural transformation.
Muhinda stressed that the ultimate test of AFSF 2026 will not be the number of commitments announced, but whether those commitments translate into measurable results.
“What needs to be done now is really ensuring that whatever commitment is made here actually happens—towards creating jobs, increasing economic opportunities, building resilience, and producing more and better-quality food,” he said.
He added that the AFSF Secretariat, based in Kigali, has an important role in following up on commitments made by governments, development partners, investors and other stakeholders.
“It’s about delivery, about coming through the commitment, coming through the target,” Muhinda said.
As AFSF 2026 brings together stakeholders from across Africa and beyond, the message from AGRA’s 20-year journey is clear: the continent has made significant progress, but the next chapter will require bigger investments, stronger partnerships and greater accountability to turn commitments into jobs, resilient food systems and improved livelihoods for Africa’s growing population.
End.
