Africa Food Systems Forum 2026

Africa Food Systems Forum 2026

Theme: Investing in Africa's Agri-Food Systems: Nourishing Nations, Growing Jobs, Building Resilience

AU-IBAR will join governments, farmers, researchers, investors and agri-food businesses in Kigali, Rwanda, for the twentieth edition of the Africa Food Systems Forum (AFS Forum), the world’s premier forum for African agriculture and food systems. Convening from 31 August to 4 September 2026 under the theme “Investing in Africa’s Agri-Food Systems: Nourishing Nations, Growing Jobs, Building Resilience”, the Forum works to scale up the continent’s efforts to build healthier, more inclusive, sustainable, resilient and equitable food systems capable of accelerating the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Africa by 2030. Its mission is to inform, influence and catalyse the transition to sustainable, resilient and inclusive food systems. 

More information on the Forum: https://afs-forum.org/ 
Join the conversation on Africa’s livestock future – #AFSForum2026
AU-IBAR will participate in the following sessions. Join Us!
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Climate Finance for Livestock Trade Corridors - 31 August 2026

 You are invited to an event titled "Climate Finance for Livestock Trade Corridors" on Monday, 31 August 2026, from 16:30 to 17:30 (CAT) at the Kigali Convention Centre, Room AD10, during the Africa Food Systems Forum 2026 in Rwanda. The event, organised by AU-IBAR, SWAC/OECD, and GIZ GmbH, aims to address the vital role of livestock trade corridors in Africa's economy, which climate variability currently threatens. Despite their significance, global climate finance for livestock remains limited. The session will discuss pathways to direct climate finance towards enhancing corridor infrastructure, animal health, and market access, contributing to the Livestock Development Strategy for Africa and related continental commitments. Participants are encouraged to shape initiatives that support pastoralists and traders in bolstering food security in Africa.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2nd Livestock Ministerial Roundtable - 2nd September 2026

The African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources and the International Livestock Research Institute will convene a Ministerial Roundtable on Africa’s livestock economy at the Africa Food Systems Forum 2026. The session brings ministers and senior officials responsible for livestock from Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania and Zambia into candid dialogue with research, business and development leaders on what it takes to move from recognition to delivery. The discussion will draw on practical lessons from countries and businesses already transforming their livestock systems and examine the policy, investment, and partnership actions required to scale them, along with the regional cooperation needed to strengthen value chains, expand markets, and create greater value across the continent. Dr Huyam Ahmed Mohammed Elamin Salih, Director of AU-IBAR, joins Prof. Appolinaire Djikeng, Director General of ILRI, Prof. Lindiwe Majele Sibanda, Dr Getachew Diriba and Mr Mucai Kunyiha as speakers.
 

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Transforming Africa's Livestock Economy: Market Linkages, Value Addition and Inclusive Growth - 3rd September 2026

AU-IBAR will play a key role at the Africa Food Systems Forum 2026, participating in a side event on 3 September 2026 focused on transforming Africa's livestock economy. Dr Huyam Salih will join a panel of experts, including leaders from various agricultural and livestock organisations. AU-IBAR will emphasise that transforming the livestock economy must occur across the entire chain, highlighting the importance of animal health and productivity for market access. AU-IBAR advocates for improved infrastructure and formalised cross-border market connections to enhance intra-African trade, ensuring that pastoralists, smallholder producers, women, and youth have integral roles in the value chain.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Forum matters to AU-IBAR because it brings experts, policymakers and industry together in one place: a continental read on where agri-food systems are heading, an unmatched platform for partnerships with the private sector actors essential to livestock value chain development, and a seat in the discussions that shape food systems policy and sustainability commitments across the continent.

Marking twenty years since its founding, the Forum has grown from an agricultural gathering into a year-round platform for dialogue, investment and policy action. AU-IBAR’s presence in Kigali underlines a consistent message: Africa’s food systems transformation will not be complete without a livestock economy that is productive, competitive and inclusive, built chain-wide rather than link by link.

More information on the Forum: https://afs-forum.org/ 

Join the conversation on Africa’s livestock future – #AFSForum2026