AGRA Champions Country-Led, Youth-Driven Solutions as UN Food Systems Summit Opens
The United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS+4) opened today with a powerful call from AGRA (Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa) for global institutions and investors to prioritize homegrown, youth-driven strategies in transforming Africa’s agriculture and food systems.
Speaking during the summit’s opening sessions, AGRA’s Board Chair and former Ethiopian Prime Minister, H.E. Hailemariam Dessalegn, emphasized the importance of local ownership in food systems transformation. “Only when interventions are owned by communities and tailored to national contexts can they deliver enduring impact,” he said. “Transformation must be country-led and youth-driven.”
AGRA, which has worked with 11 African governments over the last four years to integrate food systems reforms into national development plans, is leveraging the summit to push for governance reforms, climate resilience, and innovative financing solutions. This year’s summit comes four years after the inaugural UNFSS in 2021 and serves as a checkpoint to assess progress toward the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
AGRA President Alice Ruhweza noted that despite a vibrant generation of young agri-entrepreneurs across Africa, many face serious challenges accessing capital. “Africa’s youth are full of innovation and ambition, but financial institutions often find their risk profiles unattractive,” she said. “We must now design innovative financing instruments that match their vision and potential.”
Throughout the summit, AGRA is engaging in high-level conversations on mobilizing capital for food systems, strengthening value chains, and promoting inclusive financing models. PepsiCo Foundation President C.D. Glin, also participating in the summit, highlighted the urgency of climate action in food systems and stressed the importance of collaborative investments. “We must think bigger, act faster, and partner in new ways. Supporting local enterprises is one of the most effective ways to drive truly transformative change,” he said. PepsiCo is currently working with partners in Egypt, Ethiopia, and South Africa to strengthen crop value chains.
In parallel, AGRA is supporting over 30 African agri-SMEs participating in pitching sessions to highlight youth-led innovations and investment-ready solutions aligned with national policy.
The summit also coincides with the release of the 2025 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report, which shows that food insecurity worsened in Africa between 2022 and 2024, with women continuing to bear the brunt of malnutrition.
Ahead of the summit, AGRA unveiled the African Digital Crop Variety Catalogue, a searchable platform developed by its Centre of Excellence for Seed Systems in Africa (CESSA), aimed at strengthening data-driven decisions in agriculture
