WWF country director, Ivan Tumuhimbise (PHOTO/Courtesy)
KIGALI, RWANDA – As the Africa Food Systems Annual Summit (AFS) 2024 gets underway, the World-Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is calling on African leaders to prioritize sustainable and climate-resilient food systems, warning that the future of the continent’s agriculture and food security hangs in the balance.
“This summit is a pivotal moment for us to engage with policymakers and influencers on the urgent need to align our food systems with ecological and climate resilience goals,” said Ivan Tumuhimbise, Country Director of WWF Uganda. “This alignment is crucial for securing a sustainable future for both people and nature.”
WWF’s participation at the summit will focus on the protection of Africa’s critical ecosystems, which are vital for the continent’s food systems. The organization aims to mobilize participation from policy and food systems teams to advocate for nature-positive solutions and integrate climate resilience into agricultural practices.
“Our goal at this year’s Africa Food Systems Annual Summit is to ensure that African leaders and stakeholders recognize the essential connection between healthy ecosystems and sustainable food systems,” said Nancy Rapando, Africa’s Food Future Initiative Lead. “We must adopt nature-positive solutions that will not only safeguard our environment but also enhance the resilience and productivity of our agriculture.”
The summit’s theme, “Innovate, Accelerate and Scale: Delivering Food Systems Transformation in a Digital and Climate Era,” highlights the need for innovative solutions to address the complex challenges facing Africa’s food systems. The forum’s discussions on drivers of change, such as climate change, population growth, urbanization, and shifting diets, are crucial, as insufficient consideration of them in agricultural policies could lead to catastrophic consequences for Africa’s natural ecosystems and food security.
Hosted by His Excellency President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, the summit brings together leaders in the agriculture and food sectors from Africa and beyond to establish long-term strategies for transforming Africa’s agriculture and food systems. WWF’s engagement at the summit is part of its broader efforts to promote sustainable and climate-resilient food systems across Africa.
