20 Years On, Africa’s Food Systems Forum Returns to Kigali

Twenty years ago, a handful of policymakers and agricultural experts set out to fix a problem hiding in plain sight: Africa grows food, yet struggles to feed itself. Two decades later, that effort has become the continent’s most consequential agricultural gathering. From 31 August to 4 September 2026, the Africa Food Systems Forum returns to the Kigali Convention Centre in Rwanda for its 20th annual summit, convening under the theme “Investing in Africa’s Agri-Food Systems: Nourishing Nations, Growing Jobs, Building Resilience.” Organisers expect more than 5,000 delegates from over 50 countries, making it, by scale alone, the continent’s premier meeting point for agricultural policy, capital and innovation.

Where Heads of State Meet Capital

What sets the Africa Food Systems Forum apart from a typical trade conference is the mix of people it pulls into one room. Heads of state sit alongside scientists, investors negotiate directly with project developers, and government commitments get tested against real deal-making. Over its history, the Forum has helped catalyse billions of dollars in agricultural investment and shaped continental food policy through the Malabo Declaration, which commits African governments to allocating at least 10 percent of public expenditure to agriculture.

That commitment, however, remains unevenly met. Fewer than ten African countries have consistently hit the Malabo target, and private-sector investment in agriculture still lags behind government spending across much of the continent. Consequently, the Forum’s 2026 theme of “investing” carries real urgency rather than serving as a generic conference tagline. It reflects an acknowledgment that policy declarations alone have not closed the financing gap, and that 2026 needs to produce more concrete capital commitments than declarations of intent.

Four Days of Programming Built Around Five Themes

The 2026 edition is structured around five interconnected thematic platforms addressing what organisers describe as Africa’s most urgent agri-food challenges. Sessions span topics from blended finance mechanisms designed to de-risk agribusiness investment, to scaling irrigation and water infrastructure, to building food systems that genuinely centre women and youth rather than treating them as afterthoughts.

Confirmed programming includes a session on scaling irrigation investment organised jointly by IWMI, IFPRI, AUDA-NEPAD, AGRA, the World Bank and AU-SAFGRAD, alongside a dedicated Farmers Roundtable on “Investing in the People Behind the Value Chain,” featuring World Farmers’ Organisation President Dr Daniel Mwendah M’Mailutha. A further session addressing the ongoing fertiliser crisis brings together the Sustainable Farming Science Program and the Policy Innovation Program to explore practical solutions for a challenge that has squeezed smallholder farmers across the continent for several seasons running.

A Deal Room for Real Transactions

Beyond panel discussions, the Forum has built dedicated infrastructure for turning conversation into transaction. Its Deal Room functions as Africa’s premier agri-food investment platform, where entrepreneurs and project developers pitch directly to investors, close deals, and forge strategic partnerships on the sidelines of the main programme. Meanwhile, partner organisations can host side events within the Forum’s five thematic platforms, provided sessions meet a bar for quality and genuine collaboration rather than simple promotional content.

Partnership tiers for organisations wanting a larger footprint at the Forum range from $20,000 to more than $250,000, offering access to the full delegate base, speaking slots, and influence over the agenda itself. That structure signals how seriously the Forum treats itself as an investment platform first and a conference second.

Twenty Years, One Persistent Challenge

The Forum’s anniversary arrives at a moment when Africa’s food security challenges have only grown more layered. Climate volatility, population growth, supply chain disruption and constrained government budgets are all converging on a continent that, according to past Forum organisers, still allocates well below the Malabo target in many member states. Some governments reportedly spend as little as 1 to 4 percent of their budgets on agriculture, despite the sector’s outsized role in employment and food security.

Therefore, the 20th anniversary programming carries a dual purpose: celebrating two decades of policy influence and investment mobilisation, while confronting the reality that the underlying financing gap the Forum was built to close has not fully closed. Opening ceremony keynote addresses from distinguished continental leaders are expected to set the strategic tone for the week, framing the anniversary less as a victory lap and more as a checkpoint on unfinished work.

Why Kigali, Again

Rwanda is no stranger to hosting this gathering, having welcomed earlier editions of the Forum, then known as the African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF), in previous years. The country’s growing reputation as a Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) hub, combined with its own aggressive agricultural investment targets under its National Strategy for Transformation, makes Kigali a natural fit for an event explicitly centred on investment and resilience.

Getting Involved

Registration for AFS Forum 2026 is open, with delegate rates set at RWF 190,000 for Rwandan residents and USD 400 for international delegates. Organisers describe four main pathways to engage: registering as a general delegate, joining the Deal Room to pitch or source investment opportunities, hosting a side event within one of the five thematic platforms, or becoming a Forum partner. For anyone working across Africa’s agriculture, food security or agribusiness investment space, the Forum’s 20th edition offers a rare concentration of decision-makers, capital and policy influence in a single week, and a chance to see whether two decades of convening finally translate into the scale of investment the continent’s food systems still need.

Register for AFS Forum 2026 here: https://afs-forum.org/summit/2026/register

Disclaimer

Africa Agricultural Network (AAN) is committed to informing and empowering agricultural communities across Africa as per our mandate. This article is intended for informational purposes only. We recommend you verify with Africa Food Systems Forum website .