Heifer International says youth–led innovations, coupled with innovative financing models, has potential to transform Africa’s food systems in the midst of a worsening hunger situation affecting nearly one in five people on the continent.
In a statement announcing dates of the 2025 Africa Food Systems Forum scheduled to take place in Dakar, Senegal, from August 31 to September 5, the organisation says this year’s forum convenes as new data highlights the scale of the African food and nutrition crisis.
“At the forum, Heifer will present a transformative approach that supports Africa’s youth to lead agricultural innovation and shows how local partnerships and creative financing are helping smallholder farmers achieve lasting scalable results,” reads part of the statement.
“The 2025 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World Report revealed that 307 million people in Africa, nearly one in five, are hungry. At the report’s launch, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, warned that the world is far off track to meet the goal of ending hunger by 2030.”
According to the statement, this year’s forum theme, ‘Africa’s Youth: Leading Collaboration, Innovation and Implementation of Agri-Food Systems Transformation’, directly aligns with Heifer’s new strategic direction to foster inclusive, resilient, and sustainable food systems, powered by youth, centered on smallholder farmers.
The statement quotes Heifer International senior vice-president of Africa Programmes Adesuwa Ifedi, who says Africa’s food systems demand bold, collaborative action that evolves traditional donor models to meet the continent’s food security needs sustainability and at scale.
“At the Africa Food Systems Forum 2025, we are presenting solutions where blended finance, catalytic capital and youth-powered innovation converge to drive lasting change for farmers, communities and the continent,” Ifedi is quoted in the statement.
She is further quoted as having said Heifer International wants all stakeholders to invest in Africa’s youth and smallholder farmers to build resilient, inclusive and sustainable food systems.
At the Africa Food Systems Forum, Heifer International will present results of how collaborative action and systemic shifts toward inclusivity and sustainability are yielding results.
The organisation will also spotlight collaborative financing models that move beyond traditional donor approaches.
“A recent benchmark report by Aceli Africa, featuring the Heifer/Hello Tractor partnership, for instance, highlighted how blended finance and tech-driven mechanisation initiatives are improving incomes for hundreds of smallholder farmers, demonstrating scalable pathways sustainable, resilient growth,” further reads the statement.
The Africa Food Systems Forum is Africa’s premier platform for dialogue and collaboration on food systems transformation, bringing together thousands of policymakers, development agencies, farmers, agripreneurs, innovators, investors and private sector leaders.
