Keypoints:
- Faye says Africa has resources to feed world
- Kagame urges shift from talk to action
- Forum focuses on sustainable food systems
SENEGAL’S President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has declared that Africa has the capacity to feed not only itself but the entire globe, if its youth are placed at the centre of agricultural transformation.
Speaking on Monday at the opening of the Africa Food Systems Forum in Dakar, Faye stressed that the continent is abundantly endowed with resources needed for food security. He told delegates that Africa must look inward to secure its future and build resilience in food production.
Harnessing youth and resources
‘With 65 percent of the world’s arable land, a creative youth, and immense resources, our continent has the assets to build its food sovereignty,’ Faye said. ‘Africa has all it needs to become self-sufficient and to help feed the whole world.’
The Senegalese leader urged a shift towards solution-led strategies that prioritise investment in water management, innovation, local food processing, and intra-African trade. He insisted that sustainable food security could not rely on external aid, but on harnessing Africa’s own capacities.
Kagame: ‘We need to move from talking to doing’
Rwandan President Paul Kagame, also speaking at the summit, echoed Faye’s call for African-led solutions. He warned that Africa must stop depending on outside actors when the continent already has the means to address its food challenges.
‘Africa can’t keep depending on the rest of the world when we have everything, when our people know what to do, when there is, really, nothing lacking,’ Kagame said. ‘We need to move from talking to doing. The youth must also step up and match their demands with real action.’
Focus on sustainable systems
The Africa Food Systems Forum, which runs through September 5, brings together leaders, policymakers, researchers, and private sector players to advance sustainable and inclusive agri-food systems across the continent.
The annual summit is expected to highlight innovative pathways to strengthen local production, reduce reliance on imports, and promote resilience against global food supply shocks.
By placing Africa’s youth at the heart of this transformation, organisers argue, the continent could unlock its agricultural potential and cement its role as a global food powerhouse.
