Transforming Agriculture and Food Systems in Africa

19min

This course provides an in-depth analysis of the challenges and opportunities in transforming agriculture and food systems in Africa, highlighting poverty, hunger, limited access to agricultural inputs and services, low productivity due to natural resource constraints, vulnerability to climate change, and obstacles in processing and logistics. It emphasizes the need for sustainable intensification of agriculture, promoting innovations in technology, policy, and institutions to enhance productivity and resilience. It concludes with a focus on enhancing China-Africa cooperation to transform agri-food systems and address mutual challenges in food security and climate change.

The course comes from 2024 Seminar titled “From Paddy to Prosperity: Inclusive Partnerships and Innovative Financing for China-Africa Rice Value Chain Cooperation,” which was held in 17-19 July 2024 in Chengdu, China. This policy dialogue was co-organised by WFP China COE, United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration (NAFRA). Its objective is to facilitate discussions and exchange insights on China-Africa rice value chain development with a focus on fostering inclusive partnership and promoting innovative financing and investment opportunities.

Lecturer

Fan Shenggen

Chair Professor

Dr. Shenggen Fan is Chair Professor and Dean of the Academy of Global Food Economics and Policy (AGFEP) at China Agricultural University (CAU). Prior to joining CAU, He served as director general of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) from 2009 to 2019.

His research interests include food and nutrition security, agricultural and rural development, poverty reduction, and the transformation of food systems and global food security. He is currently the CGIAR System Board member, acting board chair of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), vice board chair of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), and board member of the Global Development Network (GDN). He is also a member of the advisory council at the World Food Prize Foundation and a member of the EAT-Lancet commission.

He is awarded as a Fellow of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association (AAEA) and an Honorary Life Member of the International Association of Agricultural Economists (IAAE).

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