Rene Anthere Rwanyange
KIGALI, Rwanda, August 21, 2026 — More than 5,000 African and global leaders, policymakers, investors, scientists, entrepreneurs and young innovators from more than 50 countries are expected in Kigali next month for the 20th Africa Food Systems Forum (AFSF), as the continent seeks to turn two decades of commitments into investment, jobs and measurable action.
The forum, scheduled for August 31 to September 5, 2026, will be held under the theme “Investing in Africa’s Agri-Food Systems: Nourishing Nations, Growing Jobs, Building Resilience.” It will focus on how Africa can develop food systems capable of feeding a growing population while creating employment, driving economic transformation and building resilience to climate shocks.
President Paul Kagame is expected to open the forum, which marks two decades of AFSF as a major platform for advancing Africa’s food and agriculture transformation agenda.
The Kigali meeting comes as African countries seek to accelerate investment in agriculture and food systems amid persistent food insecurity, climate pressures, rapid population growth, youth unemployment and limited access to affordable capital.
The forum will build on commitments made at AFSF 2025 in Senegal, where six countries presented Country Legacy Programmes targeting more than US$6 billion in mobilised investments for food systems transformation, youth employment and sustainable agri-food value chains.
AFSF 2025 also highlighted a pipeline of investment-ready projects, including businesses led by young people and women. Its Agri-Food Investment Forum underscored the need for blended finance, risk-sharing mechanisms and stronger domestic resource mobilisation to unlock investment at scale.
AFSF 2026 will seek to translate that momentum into concrete deals and implementation by bringing governments, development finance institutions, investors and the private sector together to strengthen investment pipelines and expand opportunities across Africa’s food and agriculture value chains.
Former African leaders to join Council of the Wise
A key feature of the 20th edition will be the Council of the Wise, bringing together former heads of state and government for discussions on leadership, resilience and the future of Africa’s food systems.
The council will include former Nigerian President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan; former Tanzanian President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete; former Prime Minister of Guinea Mohamed Beavogui; former Nigerien President Mahamadou Issoufou; former Prime Minister of Benin Lionel Zinsou; and former Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn, who also chairs the AGRA Board of Directors.
Amath Pathé Sene, Managing Director of the Africa Food Systems Forum, said Africa has the knowledge and innovation needed to transform its food systems but requires investment and coordinated action to achieve that transformation. “Africa has the knowledge, the innovation and the entrepreneurial energy to transform how our continent produces, processes, trades and consumes food. What we need now is to match that ambition with investment and action at scale,” Sene said.
He said the 20th anniversary provides an opportunity to move beyond discussion and strengthen partnerships capable of delivering tangible results. “We are bringing leaders together in Kigali not simply to discuss the challenges before us, but to forge the partnerships, unlock the capital and advance the solutions that can nourish our nations, create jobs for our young people and build more resilient food systems for generations to come,” he said.
Five priorities at the centre of the forum
The programme will be organised around five key priorities: Investment and finance, Food security and nutrition, Climate resilience, Youth and digital innovation and Trade, markets and value chains.
The discussions will examine how governments, development finance institutions, investors and businesses can mobilise greater volumes of domestic and international capital for agriculture and food systems.
A dedicated AFSF Deal Room will connect African agribusinesses, entrepreneurs and innovators with investors and financial institutions, with the aim of identifying investment opportunities, mobilising capital and developing partnerships across food and agriculture value chains.
Youth, entrepreneurship and digital innovation will also feature prominently, with discussions focusing on how technology can expand opportunities for Africa’s young population in farming, processing, logistics, trade and other parts of the food economy.
The forum will also highlight the contribution of women to food production, processing, trade and household nutrition, while examining ways to expand their access to investment, markets and economic opportunities.
Global and continental leaders expected
The wider forum leadership will include Dr Akinwumi Adesina, former President of the African Development Bank; Dr Qu Dongyu, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; Dr Alvaro Lario, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development; Alice Ruhweza, President of AGRA; Josefa Sacko, African Union Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment; and Ismahane Elouafi, Executive Managing Director of CGIAR.
Other expected participants include Nardos Bekele-Thomas, CEO of the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD); Claver Gatete, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa; and Silvia Maria Fonseca Silveira Massruha, President of Brazil’s agricultural research agency Embrapa.
Senior government officials, development finance executives, investors, researchers and private-sector leaders from Africa and beyond are also expected to attend.
Hosted in Rwanda, AFSF 2026 will provide an opportunity for the country to showcase its experience in food systems transformation while positioning Kigali as a hub for discussions on agriculture, investment and sustainable development.
The forum will also look ahead to major continental and global milestones, including implementation of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) and preparations for COP32 in Addis Ababa.
AFSF 2026 will conclude with a Food Festival celebrating African food, culture and innovation, alongside a closing communique linked to the Kampala CAADP Declaration.
Sene said the 20th edition should serve as a turning point from commitments to implementation. “After 20 years of progress, the question facing Africa is no longer whether transformation is possible, but whether the continent can mobilise the investment, partnerships and action required to deliver it. AFSF 2026 will bring those decisions to Kigali,” he said.
