• African Food Systems Forum 2025 ends in Dakar with 6,000+ attendees.
• UK, AGRA, AU launch $6.7M food trade corridors partnership.
• GCC, Gates Foundation, World Bank sign new agriculture agreements.

The 16th African Food Systems Forum (AFSF) concluded on Thursday, September 4, in Dakar.

The event, held under the theme "Africa’s Youth: Leading Collaboration, Innovation, and the Implementation of Agri-Food Systems Transformation," gathered heads of state, ministers, parliamentarians, experts, and entrepreneurs. The annual forum featured presentations on agritech innovations, calls to action centered on youth, and new commitments for African agriculture, along with the announcement of several new initiatives and agreements.

Among the key announcements were a £5 million ($6.7 million) partnership between the United Kingdom, the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), and the African Union for food trade corridors, and the signing of a "Global Future Foods" memorandum of understanding between the AFSF and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Additionally, a new white paper on digital public infrastructure for agriculture was launched, a collaboration between the Gates Foundation and the World Bank.

"Our greatest asset is our youth: their vigor, ambition, and innovation, combined with the wisdom of their elders. Let us empower them, and our women, to be not just participants but the drivers of agribusiness and innovation," said Pathé Sène, AFSF Director General.

Mabouba Diagne, Senegal's Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty, and Livestock, stated, "On behalf of the Senegalese population, starting with His Excellency, the President of the Republic, the Prime Minister, the government, and all the participants who came from all over the world, we say thank you to AGRA and AFSF. You cannot imagine how stimulating it is to see this youth expressing themselves and having the strong will to change Africa, to feed the continent by itself, and to create the thousands of jobs we need. I firmly believe that what we have seen this week reassures us that youth can be a game-changer."

According to the organizers, AFSF 2025 drew a record-breaking crowd of more than 6,000 participants from 106 countries, representing over 120 institutions, since the event was first held in 2006.

Espoir Olodo