It was much heralded, and now that is has arrived, it is fair to say that it more than lives up to the advertising. The Kigali Convention Centre (KCC) will host this year’s Africa Food Systems Forum (AFS), for four days, ending on the 6th. A look around the stalls at the Convention centre, leaves one in no doubt that as they describe themselves, the AFS, is indeed “the world’s leading agriculture and food systems forum.”
Food. There is no life without it, it is of course the building blocks that sustains our corporeal being. At the AFS forum, governments, farmers, agronomists, the private sector, to name but a few, will gather to discuss how efficiently and sustainably, food is being produced, and crucially how it should be. The operative word here, is systems. In essence, every aspect of food production studied, discussed and analysed.
The forum is hosted by the government of Rwanda, the AFS and its partners.
Rwanda’s now famed capacity for organisation will once again be put to the test. Over 50,000 delegates, from more than one hundred countries, are expected at KCC. They will have much to occupy them. There will be field visits to Rwanda’s innovative agricultural programmes, and food businesses. For those who would rather stay within KCC’s salubrious interiors, there are events to “highlighting initiatives, solutions, and possibilities for transforming food systems, both on the continent and abroad.”
If that is not enticing enough, there are plenary sessions with expert speakers on almost every aspect of food systems. The leadership room will “offer a space to catalyse leadership on food systems and build an ecosystem of organizations and individuals working to advance leadership, skills, and experience…” There is the “Accountability Room”, where government representatives and the private sector, will come together to evaluate their implementation of earlier commitments.
The Knowledge Market, will offer “a one-stop space for accessing and sharing the latest research, publications, digital projects, and position papers…” Or you can find the “Intelligence for Policy, Iinnovation, Pprogrammes and InvestmentsTthematic Sessions, right next door to the Agribusiness Deal Room. In short, there is something for virtually every interest.
At the Legacy Programme Roundtable, “the Government of the Republic of Rwanda will bring together Rwanda’s bilateral donor countries, financial institutions, and investors to pledge support for implementing the Rwanda Flagship Legacy Program on food systems, which focuses on youth and women…”
And if you find your attention wandering, and you need a rest from all the intellectually taxing discussions, you can take a wander through the exhibition area, to find some organisations you probably never knew existed. Ikijumba One Stop Shop, has been quietly making selling bread, biscuits, chapatis, mandazi, all made from sweet potato, hence, Ikijumba (sweet patato.)
Energised by the sweet patato bread, you can then continue on to the World Vegitable Centre stall, walk on a bit, to the Virtual Agronomist, where you will find all the expertise you could ever need, presented on your smart mobile telephone, or whichever gadget you prefer. Or more traditionally, you can visit the Generative Agriculture, right next door to the Sustainable Agriculture Foundation.
But you are resting your mind, so, perhaps you would rather watch demonstrations of some irrigation systems, including Ebbara, from Japan, housed at the JiCA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) stand.
There are an estimated thirty-three publications for the AFS. The number may not do justice to the sheer volume of activities. It would be an understatement to say that it will be a packed four days.
