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Key takeaways from the opinion piece by Competition Authority of Kenya's Acting Director-General and Shamba Centre for Food & Climate's Executive Director Carin Smaller. 1. Invest in more data, research & analysis 2. Reform harmful agri-food policies 3. Stakeholder partnerships for agri-food market research and inquiries. 4. Mobilize network of advocates & supporters 5. Make the case that competition issues are important for the agri-food systems You can read the entire article -> https://lnkd.in/dUGRypzP

During the ongoing High-Level Dialogue on Food Systems, King Letsie III emphasized the importance of organizational engagement and cooperation to support efforts in creating vibrant and sustainable food systems in Lesotho. He reminded participants that August is earmarked as Food and Agriculture Month and urged everyone to take this opportunity to reflect on how the nation is progressing on Lesotho's key principles of peace, rain, and prosperity. The issue of nutrition,  the King who is FAO Special Goodwill Ambassador for Nutrition said community involvement in agriculture, and future nutrition are part of an interconnected development system that requires a collective effort to optimize the resources and expand the fiscal attitude needed to achieve a greater and more sustainable future. “It is therefore important that, as a nation, we move towards commercialization in agriculture,” he said. He pointed out that it is the role of the government to develop policies and a regulatory environment conducive to inclusive growth and private sector investment. It is time for the government to consider policies that offer incentives for investment, facilitate small programmes' ability to access finance, markets, and technology, and enable increased access to water. The King also pointed out that the private sector can take advantage of these opportunities by catalyzing investment in the sector, seeking out operational investments, and investing in public-private partnerships. #sustainability #foodsecurity

UG: African Union Adopts 10-Year Strategy to Revolutionize Agri-Food Systems  The African Union (AU) has launched an ambitious 10-year strategy and action plan to transform Africa’s agri-food systems and secure food sovereignty by 2035. 

Key takeaways from the opinion piece by Competition Authority of Kenya's Acting Director-General and Shamba Centre for Food & Climate's Executive Director Carin Smaller. 1. Invest in more data, research & analysis 2. Reform harmful agri-food policies 3. Stakeholder partnerships for agri-food market research and inquiries. 4. Mobilize network of advocates & supporters 5. Make the case that competition issues are important for the agri-food systems You can read the entire article -> https://lnkd.in/dDDG4n3U

As African nations strive to overcome food insecurity and economic challenges, the United States is stepping in with robust support aimed at fostering sustainable growth and resilience in the continent's agricultural sector. At the recent Africa Food Systems Forum, Dina Esposito, Assistant to the Administrator at USAID, underscored the critical role of U.S. initiatives in addressing these pressing issues.   Strengthening African Agriculture At the heart of the discussion was the "Feed the Future" program, a U.S. #AfricaUSstrategicpartnership #Africanagricultureinitiatives #Africanfoodsecurity #AfricanSMEsfinancing #ClimateSmartAgriculture #FeedtheFutureAfrica #foodsystemsresilience #sustainableagricultureAfrica #USAfricapartnership #thxnews

Africa needs a regional approach to bolster food security! 🎙️ CNBC Africa’s Aby Agina spoke to our Chair Dr. Ibrahim Mayaki, African Union Special Envoy on Food Systems, about the future of Africa after CAADP new Strategy and Plan. He emphasised the need for a strategic framework to guide food systems transformation in Africa over the next decade. 🚨 Dr. Mayaki outlined three critical pillars for addressing the challenges Africa and food systems are facing, starting from climate change: 1️⃣ Governance of food systems - defining national policies to support farmers and access to food 2️⃣ Linking food and economic policies to address inequality 3️⃣ Promoting regional trade to enhance food sovereignty The common ground is political prioritisation! 🚨 Watch the full interview below ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/eVXQSewU CAADP CAADP Jeremy Lissouba Pan-African Parliament Lawrence Haddad CMG Leonard Mizzi Godfred Seidu Jasaw, PhD Dr Hamady Diop Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH Alliance2015 Maximo Torero Michael Keller Federica De Gaetano

Read about the importance of fair markets in provinding greater food security, and how transparent data is an essential ingredient in the assessment. Insightful article by Carin Smaller of Shamba Centre for Food & Climate and Dr. Adano Wario of the Competition Authority of Kenya. #competition #Africa Centre for Competition, Regulation and Economic Development (CCRED)

AFS Forum Kigali 2024 Africa Food Systems Forum Urges Innovation, Investment for Food Security ************************* As a youth advocate attending the Africa Food Systems Forum 2024 in Rwanda Kigali, I call for urgent innovation, investment, and political commitment to transform agriculture and ensure food security across the continent. We have highlighted a range of persistent challenges, including inadequate policy frameworks, poor coordination and delivery mechanisms, climate change impacts, infrastructure deficits, fragmented markets, food loss and waste, and limited access to innovation, technologies, and investment. The Forum emphasized the urgency of accelerating efforts to transform Africa’s food systems, driven by the looming deadlines of the Sustainable Development Goals in 2030 and the Malabo Declaration in 2025. Innovative policies, digital technologies, and scaled investments are essential to achieving food and nutrition security while creating jobs for the continent’s growing youth and women populations, according to the AFS Forum 2024, which attracted over 5,000 participants, including policy makers, agribusiness investors, farmers’ organizations, private sector representatives , and youth. The AFS Forum serves not only as a platform for discussion but also as an accountability mechanism, with stakeholders expected to uphold their commitments and take concrete action to drive the transformation of Africa’s food systems. Cire Lamine TALLA Mouhamed Poumane Maguette Bâ Global Center on Adaptation African Development Bank Group @unccd UN Convention to Combat Desertification #afsforum2024 #InnoverAccélérerÉchelle

Food security and nutrition joined the top of the agenda at the recent G7 Leader's Summit in Apulia, Italy this past weekend. The G7 launched its Apulia Food Systems Initiative (#AFSI) with aim of increasing efforts to "overcome structural barriers to food security and nutrition and to build resilient sustainable and productive agriculture and food systems, and to ensure that all people can progressively realize the right to adequate food." These are laudable aims, alongside the aims to address debt burdens and boost the lending by multilateral development banks. However, as a member of the Zero Hunger Coalition's recently formed Advisory Group noted, the AFSI has not sufficiently consulted with its African stakeholders According to Ibrahima Coulibaly, President of the West African Network of Peasants and Agricultural Producers, the AFSI "is missing family farmers organisations that have not been involved even though small-scale producers will be key to its success." He also noted that it is missing a plan to ensure that the finances raised reach small-scale farmers and support their shift towards sustainable agricultural production. #g7 #agriculture # Reuters Angelo Amante https://lnkd.in/dzsviBVv

*Africa Food Systems Forum 2024 Reflection* 🌾 Reflecting on the impactful Africa Food Systems Forum (#AFSForum2024) held last month in Kigali, where leaders, innovators, stakeholders and over 5,000 delegates from across the globe came together to chart the course for Africa's agricultural transformation and strategize on transforming Africa’s food systems. The forum, opened by Prime Minister Édouard NGIRENTE, highlighted Rwanda's remarkable progress in agricultural development while emphasizing the continent-wide imperative to strengthen food systems. A key highlight was the announcement of Rwanda's ambitious $1.7 billion investment opportunities in agriculture, demonstrating the country's commitment to agricultural transformation. Several breakthrough initiatives were launched during the forum: 1. A new de-risking fund for agricultural SMEs, promising to revolutionize access to finance for small and medium-sized agricultural enterprises 2. Innovative soil testing technologies that will enable data-driven farming decisions 3. Emphasis on regenerative agriculture practices to ensure sustainable food production What particularly resonated with me was the focus on technology and innovation in agriculture. As an ag-tech analyst at Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, I was encouraged to see the growing recognition of how digital solutions can transform food systems. From AI-powered crop monitoring to digital farmer IDs, the possibilities are tremendous. The message was clear: Africa's agricultural transformation requires a multi-faceted approach combining: - Technology adoption and innovation - Policy reforms - Investment in infrastructure - Capacity building for smallholder farmers - Strong public-private partnerships To learn more about how technology can address Africa's food security challenges, check out TBI's latest paper: "Addressing Africa's Unfolding Food-Security Crisis With 21st-Century, Tech-Enabled Governments" [https://lnkd.in/dfg-mFxw] #AI #innovation #technology #foodsecurity #AgTech #AfricanAgriculture https://lnkd.in/dNMHTcTG