The Tenth Annual Summit of the African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF), which brings together over thousands of delegates from governments, the civil society, the private sector, research community and development partners will be held virtually from 8-11 September 2020 and will be co-hosted by the Government of Rwanda and the AGRF Partners Group.
The theme of the summit, Feed the Cities, Grow the Continent: Leveraging Urban Food Markets to Achieve Sustainable Food Systems in Africa, is a call to action to rethink our food systems to deliver resilient, better nourished, and more prosperous outcomes for all. Learn more: agrf.org/2020
International Potato Center staff and partners will participate in this year’s summit to exchange ideas along the conference theme of feeding cities. On Wednesday 9 September (Nutritious Foods day) 16:00 – 18:00, Dr. Barbara Wells, CIP Director General, will be a panelist during a plenary session that aims at creating demand for African products that fuel diverse, healthy diets with the safety and quality every consumer needs. The session is titled Growing Africa’s Food – African Leaders Unpack Nutrition Indicators (sequence 2). Wells will highlight, among others, why special consideration must be given to root and tuber crops—potato and sweetpotato—from a nutrition point of view. Key points are drawn for CIP’s case for nutrition available here.
Sequence 1: Building Back Better – Growing the Continent (16:00 – 17:00)
This Policy Symposium will discuss the UN The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2020 (SOFI 2020), the ongoing pandemic, and feeding the continent. The symposium will discuss the special focus of this year’s report on transforming food systems for affordable healthy diets. Focus will also be on cost and affordability of healthy diets around the world, by region and in different development contexts. There exist a “hidden” health and climatechange costs associated with our current food consumption patterns. It is therefore, important to discuss the cost savings of a shift towards healthy diets that include sustainability considerations. The discussion will also include the critical investments, and importance of policy changes needed to transform current food systems and make them able to deliver affordable healthy diets for all – crucial to reaching SDG2 – Zero Hunger.
Sequence Interlude – Short video on Nutrition
Moderator: Dr. Gunhild Stordalen, Founder and Executive Chair, EAT
Keynote Remarks: Dr. Qu Dongyu, Director General, FAO
Panel Discussion:
- Dr. Gerardine Mukeshimana, Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources,
Rwanda
- Dr. Gerd Müller, Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development,
Germany
- Min. Toshimitsu Motegi – Minister of Foreign Affairs, Japan
- Rodger Voorhies – President of Global Growth and Opportunity, BMGF
- Min. Moussa Baldé, Minister of Agriculture, Senegal
- Simeon Ehui – Regional Director for Sustainable Development for Africa, WorldBank
- Wambui Gichuri, Acting Vice President for Agriculture, AfDB
Practitioners will respond by showcasing how we can create demand for African products that fuel diverse, healthy diets with the safety and quality every consumer needs. African food and African food products generate agriculture-driven economic growth in Africa that develops urban food markets, fosters urban-rural linkages, and contributes to reducing poverty and hunger in Africa. It also celebrates the rich food culture across the continent.
Presentation of the Nutrition Dashboard: Dr. Lawrence Haddad, Executive Director, GAIN
Debate:
- Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli, CEO, AACE Foods
- Thato Moagi, Farmer, Managing Director Legae La Banareng Farms
- Donal Brown, Associate Vice-President, IFAD
- Barbara Wells, Director General, CIP
- Min. Madjidiane Padja Ruth, Minister of Agriculture, Chad
- Min. Armindo Daniel Tiago, Minister of Health, Mozambique
- Johan Swinnen, Director General, IFPRI
Ms. Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli
Ms. Thato Moagi
Dr. Donal Brown
Dr. Barbara Wells
Hon. Min. Madjidiane Padja Ruth
Hon. Min. Armindo Daniel Tiago
