Recognising the pivotal role youths can play in shaping the future of agriculture, The Africa Food Systems (AFS) is actively courting young talent to drive growth and innovation in the sector.
To amplify the leadership of young people already driving Africa’s food systems transformation while making it attractive for others, AFS in partnership with the Senegal’s Ministry of Agriculture Food Sovereignty and Livestock will gather over 6,000 food systems leaders across the global at the 19 edition of the Africa Food Systems Forum (AFSF) in Senegal.
The conference themed ‘Africa’s Youth: Leading Collaboration, Innovation, and Implementation of Africa’s Food Systems Transformation’, will mark Africa’s most significant agriculture and food-systems moment, hosted by a nation that is budding with youthful innovation.
“With nearly 60 percent of Africa’s population under 25, youth are the most potent force shaping the continent’s future. Senegal is therefore honoured to convene Africa’s most influential agriculture leaders and hope that this year’s Forum will shape policy, investment, and innovation,” said Mabouba Diagne, Senegal’s Minister of Agriculture Food Sovereignty and Livestock in a statement.
“We welcome the world to Dakar and reinforce our belief that Africa can achieve food resilience and sustainable systems,” he added.
According to him, delegates from more than 90 countries are expected to arrive in Dakar, with participation from key international institutions including the Africa Union, UN agencies and major development institutions.
He noted that representation will span public and private sectors, academia, NGOs, media, youth, women and farming communities.
He stated that agriculture employs nearly 69 percent of Senegal’s labour force, contributing roughly 17 percent of GDP, saying that as a Sahel nation, the country has invested aggressively in irrigation, storage infrastructure, and resilient farming systems.
He said that hosting the forum reinforces Senegal’s leadership in regional food systems transformation.
Amath Pathe, managing director, Africa Food Systems Forum, said that the convening is a catalyst for reaching youth and young women in Africa to engage them as leaders, co-creators and movement builders.
“6,000 voices from across the world will converge in Senegal to exchange ideas and build the future of food systems and we can’t wait for the impact this will have.”
“There is a strong commitment from the government of Senegal to deliver a high impactful event. Comprehensive security protocols, visa facilitation, advanced logistics, multilingual interpretation, and protocol arrangements are in place to ensure smooth execution.”
The conference is schedule to hold in Dakar, Senegal in August, 2025. Online registration for delegates is now open on the official AFS Forum website through the link – https://afs-forum.org/summit/2025/.
