GFAiR at AFS Forum 2026: Meet our team and explore our programme highlights in Kigali

 

31 Aug – 4 Sep 2026, Kigali, Rwanda

The Global Forum on Agricultural Innovation and Research (GFAiR) is delighted to announce that three of our key colleagues are heading to the Africa Food Systems Forum 2026 (AFSForum2026) in Kigali, Rwanda.

The 2026 theme is "Investing in Africa's Agri-Food Systems: Nourishing Nations, Growing Jobs, Building Resilience.

The High-level GFAiR team and their areas of focus in Kigali:

1. Joanna Kane-Potaka, GFAiR Executive Secretary

▪️ Leading discussions on Resource Mobilisation.

▪️ Advancing innovative CSR concepts and partnership frameworks for transformative change.

 2. Francois Stepman, GFAiR Advisor

▪️ Guiding conversations on Collective Action (CA) frameworks within agri-food research and innovation.

▪️ Co-organising a specialised event on Forgotten Foods with GFAiR partners.

3. Botir Dosov, Global NARS Consortium (GNC) Coordinator

▪️ Focusing on engaging National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS) and Regional Fora stakeholders through the GNC.

 

Highlights of The Programme

31 August 2026. Investing in Africa's Agrifood Resilience 

09:00–10:00 AD10 – Breakout Room 2. Side Event.

Hosted by Academy of Global Food Economics & Policy, China Agricultural University; Environmental Defense Fund. This side event explores how investments and partnerships can strengthen the resilience of Africa’s Agri-food systems through China–Africa cooperation.

 

31 August 2026.Securing Africa's Food Future 

10:30–11:30. MH1 - Investment Room Deal Room 2. Side Event

Hosted by CIMMYT, Mastercard Foundation, AfDB, IFDC, Bayer, Gates Foundation. Africa's agri-food systems face mounting pressures from climate shocks, humanitarian crises, market disruptions, and geopolitical instability. These interconnected challenges threaten food security, nutrition, livelihoods, and economic growth, exposing deep structural vulnerabilities.

 

31 August 2026. Towards Tropical Regenerative Agriculture

10:30–11:30. MH1 - Investment Room Main Stage. Side Event

Hosted by Institute of Advanced Studies of the University of Sao Paulo. Most of the world's soil biodiversity is found in tropical regions. Rather than destroying this living wealth through chemical and synthetic approaches associated with the simplification and monotony of crop and livestock systems, the objective is to make this abundance the foundation for increasing agricultural production while expanding the supply of healthy foods capable of addressing the alarming rise in the consumption of ultra-processed products and obesity, which in both Brazil and Africa are increasing alongside hunger.

 

31 August 2026. AfricaVeg: African Seeds, African Solutions 

12:00–13:00. MH1 - Investment Room Deal Room 2. Side Event.

Hosted by World Vegetable Centre. AfricaVeg is a new public–private initiative led by the World Vegetable Centre to strengthen Africa’s vegetable breeding and seed innovation ecosystem. The session will explore how African seed companies, public breeding programmes, universities, and regional partners can work together to accelerate the development and delivery of locally adapted, climate-resilient vegetable varieties that better serve farmers and markets across the continent. Many vegetable farmers in Africa continue to rely on imported or poorly adapted seed, while local seed companies often lack access to advanced breeding tools, elite genetics, and product development partnerships. AfricaVeg aims to bridge this gap by equipping African seed enterprises with the genetics, technical capacity, market intelligence, and collaborative breeding networks needed to become stronger innovation partners.

 

31 August 2026.Financing Africa’s Agrifood Future 

12:00–13:00. MH1 - Investment Room Main Stage. Side Event

Hosted by WHH, AKADEMIYA2063; ANAPRI; AAIN; ACTS; AFAP; ASARECA; CNG; DSG; EAGC; FRI; ICIPE; RBM; Resilient40; TMA; CORAF

Transforming Africa's agri-food systems in an increasingly uncertain global context demands smart and inclusive financing. Yet, public funds are stretched thin, private capital tends to underinvest in agriculture, while smallholders, pastoralists, SMEs, and women are too often left out of the financing equation.
Organised by AgriBridge, an African-German Policy Network for Sustainable Agri-food Systems, this session will explore key questions around agri-food systems financing. It will highlight innovative financing approaches, including blended finance and de-risking instruments such as trade credit guarantees for women entrepreneurs or a central livestock feed purchasing agency.
 

31 August 2026.Harnessing Africa’s Adapted Crops

13:30–14:30 MH1 - Investment Room Main Stage. Side Event

Hosted by Africa Adaptation Crops Initiative (AACI), Food Action Alliance, AGRA, TechnoServe and Bain & Company. Africa’s adapted crops–including sorghum, millet, cowpea, cassava, teff, bambara groundnut, and indigenous vegetables–offer strong potential for climate resilience, better nutrition, and green jobs. Yet, weak seed systems, low productivity, fragmented markets, limited processing, and insufficient private investment continue to constrain their growth and commercialisation.
This side event will convene governments, private sector actors, farmer organisations, youth enterprises, researchers, financiers, and development partners to explore how to unlock the full value of these crops from production to markets and value addition.
Discussions will focus on boosting productivity, expanding structured markets, strengthening processing and food innovation, and increasing investment across value chains. Participants will engage on partnerships, finance, market opportunities, and policy actions needed to scale inclusive, climate-resilient and job-creating food systems in Africa.
 

31 August 2026.Malabo to Kampala: Transforming Agri-Food 

16:30–17:30. MH1 - Investment Room Deal Room 2. Side Event

Hosted by GIZ; AKADEMIYA2063; CARE International. The side event will examine how countries can turn CAADP Kampala commitments into practical delivery systems. The discussion will focus on concrete mechanisms, including NASIP alignment, Joint Sector Reviews, Biennial Review readiness, public expenditure tracking, non-state actor evidence, citizen accountability and country-to-country learning.

 

1 September 2026.  Innovation Hub: Investing in Diverse Crops

Africa’s agricultural resilience, nutrition outcomes, and market competitiveness depend on diversifying production systems beyond a limited number of staple crops. Shifting the agricultural narrative away from dependence on monocultures such as maize, wheat, and rice toward climate-resilient, high-nutrient alternative crops can help attract greater capital and investment into agri-food systems.

This session will explore investment opportunities in underutilised, climate-resilient, indigenous, and high-value crops that can strengthen food security, food and income diversification, biodiversity, and regional and international trade. 

Discussions will examine financing needs on high value diversified crops, market development, research and innovation, value addition, and policies required to scale diversified agricultural systems across the continent.

 

1 September 2026. Researchers Roundtable: Targeting Big Bets Across Africa’s Agri-Food Transformation. 

AFS. Kigali Convention Centre. 10:00–12:00. Roundtable. 

Research must now power immediate, high-impact continental “Big Bets” that can unlock transformative investment on youth to accelerate Africa’s agrifood systems transformation.

Moderators

• Dr. Wanjiru Kamau-Rutenberg, Panel Member, Malabo Montpellier & Managing Director–Africa, Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT
• Prof. Shenggen Fan, Chair Professor & Dean of the Academy of Global Food Economics and Policy (AGFEP), China Agricultural University (CAU)

Discussants

• Dr. Canisius Kanangire, Executive Director, African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF)
• Dr. Simon Heck, Director General, International Potato Centre (CIP) &; Senior Director, CGIAR
• Dr. Tshilidzi Madzivhandila, CEO & Head of Mission, Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN)

 

2 September 2026. CGIAR Strategy 2040 and Africa Strategy

AFS. Kigali Convention Center. AD10 – Breakout Room 2. 15:30 – 19:30 

This joint CGIAR–FARA workshop will bring together African partners and stakeholders to discuss the emerging CGIAR Africa Strategy and contribute to shaping CGIAR Strategy 2040, inviting feedback, inputs and guidance to strengthen their relevance, ownership and impact.

• Ismahane Elouafi Executive Managing Director CGIAR
• Simeon Ehui Director General, IITA CGIAR Regional Director for Africa & Continental Champion for Africa IITA | CGIAR
• Namukolo Covic Lead of Liaison Office for Africa CGIAR
• Aggrey Agumya Executive Director Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA)
•  

3 September 2026. 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM. FARA-GFAiR catch up over dinner

 

4 September 2026. Digitalisation: Financing Generative AI for Agricultural Advisory

AFS. Kigali Convention Center. Plenary. 10:00–12:00. 

Artificial Intelligence is rapidly reshaping African agriculture, with generative AI offering personalised, real‑time advisory across crops, livestock, weather, and markets at a fraction of traditional extension costs.

Yet unlocking this potential for smallholder farmers requires financing to move beyond pilots and building shared data and digital public infrastructure that ensures accuracy, trust, and accountability.

This plenary will bring both challenges into a single dialogue, drawing on the work of the Institute for Agriculture and AI, launched through a partnership between the Gates Foundation and United Arab Emirates.

Discussions will explore coordinated investments and governance frameworks to deliver AI solutions that reflect African realities and serve farmers, women, youth, and agribusinesses.

 

In Focus

• Dr. Sandra Milach, Chief Scientist, Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR)

Centre Stage

• Mr. Tajudeen Yahaya, CEO, Extension Africa
• Dr. Nicoline de Haan, Director, CGIAR Gender Equality and Inclusion Accelerator
• Prof. Vikram Sadanand Adve, Director, AI Institute for Agriculture (AIFARMS) & Head, AI Agribench Consortium
• Mr. Jamie Collinson, CEO & Founder, iSDA-Africa

In Focus

• Prof. Hlami Ngwenya, Associate Professor and Head of Research Chair in Communication for Innovation, University of the Free State

Centre Stage

• Ms. Dolapo Olukasumond, Country Director Nigeria, African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (AFAAS)
• Dr. Daniel Elger, CEO, Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI)
• Mr. Stewart Collis, Senior Programme Officer – Digital Solutions & Agricultural Development, Gates Foundation

 

4 September 2026. Nutrition & Health: Charting Consumer Demand Trends & Our Food Environments 

Kigali Convention Centre. Plenary. 13:30–15:30. 

This thematic plenary explores how consumer demand for healthy and nutrient-dense foods shapes, and is shaped, by Africa’s food environments and informal and formal markets. High food prices, weak purchasing power, and climate-related disruptions continue to limit access to nutritious foods across the continent.

Discussions will examine how food environments influence trust, affordability, and desirability and how private sector strategies can be leveraged to generate demand and aspiration for healthy diets.

By linking demand and supply-side dynamics, the plenary demonstrates how targeted policies and public and private investment into nutrient-dense foods can accelerate healthy diets, unleash market growth, and  create jobs for women and youth.

 

Framing Remarks

• H.E. Paul Gulleik Larsen, Special Envoy and Ambassador-at-Large for Food Security, Norway
• In Focus
• Dr. Roy Steiner, Senior Vice President, The Food Initiative, Rockefeller Foundation
• Dr. Christine Chege, Senior Scientist, Food environment and consumer behaviour, Alliance of Bioversity & CIAT
• Ms. Bettina Iseli, Chief Programmes Officer, Welthungerhilfe (WHH)
• Ms. Gena Perry, Executive Director, American Soybean Association's World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (ASA/WISHH)
• Ms. Boitshepo Bibi Giyose, Senior Nutrition Officer for Policy and Programmes - Nutrition and Food Systems Division, Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)

In Focus

• Dr. Lawrence Haddad, Executive Director, GAIN

Centre Stage: Consumer influence on private sector operations

• Ms. Wambui Mbarire, CEO, Retail Trade Association Kenya (RETRAK)
• Mr. George Ouma, Coordinator African Leaders for Nutrition, African Development Bank (AfDB)

Commitment Spotlight

• Ms. Angela Kimani, Senior Program Officer – Nutritious Food Systems, Gates Foundation