OVER 4000 agricultural stakeholders have converged in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania for the 13th annual Africa Food Systems Forum.
The summit, themed Recover, Regenerate, Act: Africa’s Solutions to Food Systems Transformation’ will provide a platform to the delegates, leaders and innovators from across the globe to discuss policy, breakthroughs and innovations in agriculture and food systems transformation.
According to a statement made available to journalists, the Tanzania’s Minister of Agriculture, Hussein Mohamed Bashe, during a press conference at the State House, Tanzania, on September 3, extended a welcome to delegates from Tanzania and beyond for attending the summit.
He emphasised that the forum represents a significant milestone in the journey towards establishing inclusive and sustainable food systems transformation throughout the continent.
“This year’s summit places a strong emphasis on empowering women and youth, recognising their pivotal roles in reshaping Africa’s food landscape,” he stated.
Hussein Bashe also spoke on how Tanzania is working to address food security and job creation through ‘Building a Better Tomorrow: Youth Initiative for Agribusiness (BBT-YIA)’, which aims to provide agribusiness training to 200,000 young individuals and support 15,000 youth-led agribusiness ventures in Tanzanian villages over the next five years.
Aligned 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 to tackle food system challenges, stressing that “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.”
The Forum will also build momentum for the Food Systems Transformation dialogue ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference COP 28 in Dubai.
Key highlights include, thematic plenary sessions with expert speakers, a ministerial roundtable involving over 40 ministers, and a high-level session where Heads of States will make commitments to advance Africa’s Food Systems transformation.
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