AFSF 2025: A Future Without Hunger in Fragile Contexts
At the 2025 Africa Food Systems Forum in Dakar, Senegal, Welthungerhilfe (WHH) is encouraging collaboration and commitment to bold, youth-led innovations that address malnutrition and promote the health of people and the planet.
A future without hunger is still possible, but 307 million people in Africa are undernourished and fragility is worsening. Together, we must commit to bold, youth-led innovations that turn the tide on malnutrition and nourish both people and planet. WHH is on site in Dakar to join the debate with a range of side events, contributions, new research reports and innovative ideas.
About AFSF 2025
The Africa Food Systems Forum with the theme “Africa’s Youth Leading Collaboration, Innovation, and Implementation of Agri-Food Systems Transformation,” is being held from August 31 to September 5, 2025, in Dakar, Senegal. AFSF brings together policymakers, experts, public and private sector leaders, researchers, development partners, and youth champions for open dialogue and coordinated action toward more equitable and sustainable food systems across Africa.
Launch of the “WHH Food System Toolkit”
To speed up food system transformation, WHH has launched a brand-new “WHH Food System Toolkit.” It aims to equip practitioners with advanced methods and tools for designing and implementing effective food systems transformation programs.
Opportunity crops can improve micronutrient intake
Opportunity crops have emerged as a leverage point to combat hidden hunger as they can both improve diets and enhance climate resilience. At the 2025 Africa Food Systems Forum, WHH's presents its new study “A Growing Opportunity for Better Nutrition” that shows how 20 opportunity crops prioritized by the Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils (VACS) could help close micronutrient intake gaps in 41 countries facing hunger and undernutrition. Download the study and explore our “Interactive Opportunity Dashboard”.
Three Side Events and the Deal Room
At this year’s forum WHH is co-hosting three side events and presents the “WHH Zero Hunger SMEs Pitching Session” with 12 innovative food systems enterprises
From Humanitarian Aid to Thriving Economies: Driving Inclusive and Resilient Food Systems in Fragile Contexts (Monday, September 1, 2025; 14:00-15:30)
Location: Diamniadio Expo Center – Dakar Senegal, the Press Conference Room
Organizers: Central African Republic’s Ministry of Agriculture and rural development (MADR); Welthungerhilfe; Mercy Corps Kenya
Drawing on examples from the Central African Republic, Nigeria, and Kenya, this session (90 minutes) will examine high-impact leverage points for policies and investments to support food systems transformation in fragile contexts.
Opening Remarks and Moderation by: Arno Bratz, Head of Sector Strategy, Knowledge & Learning – Welthungerhilfe (WHH)
Speakers
- Armelle Siopathis - Directrice de la Sécurité Alimentaire du Ministère Centrafricain de l'Agriculture et Développement Rural,
- Saidou Abdou - Expert Programme Coordination and Food System - WHH CAR,
- Michael Kwame Nkonu, Head of Agricultural Livelihoods Portfolio – IKEA Foundation;
- Doreen Gacheri, CEO of Genco Livestock & Fresh Meat Export LTD – Kenya
- Tajudeen Yahaya, CEO Extension Africa, Nigeria,
- Olga Petryniak, Senior Director, Africa Resilience Programs – Mercy Corps Kenya
Scaling soil health and sustainable production in fragile settings, realizing the 3 Rio conventions (Wednesday, September 3, 2025; 18:00-19:30)
Room: Thematic Room
Organizers: Welthungerhilfe & International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC)
The panel discussion (90 minutes) will emphasize the urgent need to shift from short-term humanitarian assistance —except in unavoidable situations— toward long-term strategies that integrate food security, environmental health, and climate resilience. Experts will spotlight scalable solutions—ranging from soil restoration to sustainable agriculture and seed system development—as catalysts for stronger African food systems.
Opening Remarks by: Prof. Joachim von Braun (President of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, former head of Center for Development Research at the University of Bonn, Vice Chair of the Board of Welthungerhilfe)
Moderation by: Dr. Leigh Winowiecki
Panelists :
- Henk van Duijn, Chief Executive Officer, International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC)
- Bettina Iseli, Chief Program Officer, Welthungerhilfe (WHH)
- Dr. Moumini Savadogo, Executive Director, Conseil Ouest et Centre Africain pour la Recherche et le Développement Agricoles (CORAF)
- Priscilla Wakarera, Chief Executive Officer, Rhea
- Zeinaba Narabene, President, Network of Young Sahelians for Climate
- Closing Remarks by: Prof. Alain Sy Traoré, Director of the agricultural department at ECOWAS
A Growing Opportunity for Nutrition: How scaling up opportunity crops can improve micronutrient availability and food system resilience (Thursday, September 4, 2025, 16:30-17:30)
Speaker: Arno Bratz
Venue: Stage 1
Speaker line up (same session): Dr. Alban Mas Aparisi, Economist for Food Systems Transformation at the Sahel and West Africa Club (OECD/SWAC)
Join the WHH Zero Hunger SMEs Pitching Session! (Tuesday, 2nd September 2025; 09:00–12:30)
Where: Investment Room, Deal Room 2, Africa Food Systems Forum, Dakar
Organizers: Welthungerhilfe (WHH)
Host/Moderators: Jayadeep Akkireddy & Florian Landorff
Come see 12 innovative food systems enterprises pitch their solutions to investors, donors, and ecosystem partners. Discover cutting-edge ideas, connect with visionary entrepreneurs, and explore opportunities to drive Zero Hunger across Africa!
In addition, WHH contributes to the discourse on the transformation of food systems through other activities.
- WHH’s Innovation Team will be present at the high-impact Innovation Deal Room throughout the week, a dynamic matchmaking platform that brings together governments, SMEs, entrepreneurs, investors, donors, and partners to drive agricultural financing and forge impactful collaborations.
- Welthungerhilfe’s Regional Nutrition Advisor, West & Central Africa and Caribbean, Souleymane Hassane Toukou, will be talking about our work to embed nutrient-dense opportunity crops in school meals and local production systems to optimize micronutrient intake for school children and their families at a Side-Event organized by SNV, AUDA-NEPAD, AGRAR, Rockefeller, and Welthungerhilfe (venue: Press Conference Room)
At the 2025 Africa Food Systems Forum, we call on prioritizing actions that create deep-seated self-reinforcing change. There are three key ways to advance greater investment in the transformation of African food systems:
- Inclusive, youth-driven partnerships are key to building trust, driving innovation and policy change, and creating financing models that reduce reliance on shrinking donor funds.
- Investment in research, development, and extension services that grow nutritious, climate-smart crops, restore ecosystems, and deliver win-wins for people and the plant, integrated with humanitarian action.
- Inclusive, youth driven measures that strengthen resilience, expand social protection, and attract safer investment to act before crises strike.
