2023 ReSAKSS conference focuses on Africa’s food security agenda

Business a.m

The ability to develop robust and resilient food systems is critical to Africa’s readiness to meet the targets of the Agenda 2063 and CAADP/Malabo, yet it remains to be seen how much knowledge is being generated to provide the necessary insights for decision-makers to select the most rewarding pathways.

Based on this, the 2023 Regional Strategic Analysis and Knowledge Support System (ReSAKSS) Conference, organised by AKADEMIYA2063 in partnership with the African Union Commission, is expected to  bring together a diverse group of stakeholders to discuss the key findings and policy recommendations of the ReSAKSS 2023 Annual Trends and Outlook Report (ATOR), the official Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) monitoring and evaluation report.

The conference, which will take place from November 27 to 29, 2023 at the Kigali Marriott Hotel in Rwanda, will also include discussions on how to strengthen evidence-based policymaking for sustainable agricultural development in Africa.

The opening press conference of the ReSAKSS Conference will feature the following speakers:

Ousmane Badiane, executive chairperson of AKADEMIYA2063, who will provide an overview of the conference and its objectives;John Ulimwengu, senior research fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), and co-editor of the 2023 Annual Trends and Outlook Report (ATOR),who will discuss the key findings and policy recommendations of the report; Josefa L.C. Sacko, commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment, African Union Commission (invited),who will provide insights on the importance of evidence-based policymaking for sustainable agricultural development in Africa.

Eric Rwigamba, minister of state at the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources, Rwanda (invited), will share Rwanda’s experience in implementing evidence-based policies for agricultural development. The press conference will be moderated by Christopher  Delgado, Director, ReSAKSS.

Themed “African Food Systems Transformation and the Post-Malabo Agenda,” the 15th edition of the ATOR assesses current food systems performance in Africa, analyses opportunities for transforming Africa’s food systems in relation to strategic themes including health, nutrition, food safety, gender, bioeconomy, climate adaptation, science and technology, and data needs, discusses progress on core CAADP indicators and implementation processes, and provides forward-looking recommendations to inform the post-Malabo agenda.

The conference will be held in a hybrid format, with both virtual and in-person participation options available. Participants are encouraged to register for the conference online via https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ej3IFqT-Rzi4KE60pKM51A#/registration.

Those interested in attending in person can contact Matthew Stafford at marchmontcomms.com or Layih Butake at akademiya2063.org.

Those interested in-person attendance, can contact Matthew Stafford (matthew@marchmontcomms.com)   and Layih Butake (Lbutake@akademiya2063.org).