BKMC CEO Monika Froehler and BKMC Youth AgriChampions launched the much-anticipated Youth AgriChampions Demand Paper 2024 at the Africa Food Systems Forum (AFSF) 2024.
From September 2 to 5, 2024, the Ban Ki-moon Centre’s CEO Monika Froehler and team attended the Africa Food Systems Forum 2024 in Kigali, Rwanda. Hosted annually, the theme this year was Innovate, Accelerate, and Scale: Delivering food systems transformation in a digital and climate era. It addressed the critical need to increase yields for smallholder farmers across the continent and renew and adopt key political and policy commitments.
Women and youth took center stage, where their role in accelerating the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Africa by 2030 was highlighted. The Forum united over 5,000 delegates, 38 smallholder farmer groups, 97 countries, 302 speakers, 882 youth, 7 former heads of state, 37 ministers, and 140 journalists.
CEO Monika Froehler and the BKMC team hosted two official side events on climate finance and youth engagement in agri-preneurship, several high-level meetings with Ministers, a successful field with smallholder farms and BKMC Youth AgriChampions, and several media engagements:
Launching the 2024 Youth AgriChampions Demand Paper at the Side Event “Meaningful Youth Engagement in Agri-Preneurship”
Organized by the BKMC, SNV, AGRA, the Netherlands Food Partnership, and Mastercard Foundation Fund for Resilience and Prosperity, the event showcased the innovative spirit and entrepreneurial mindset of African youth. This event highlighted their potential to drive positive change in food systems despite challenges, like limited access to resources and policy constraints.
2024 Youth AgriChampion, Brian Kithinji, presented on-stage three pivotal challenges and demands to the international community related to locally-led adaptation for smallholder farmers, as formulated by the selected BKMC Youth AgriChampions. Read the paper here:
Hosting the “Climate Smart Finance to Boost Resilience” session together with the German Development Cooperation (GIZ), CGIAR, IFAD, ADA and Varaha
Moderated by BKMC’s CEO, Monika Froehler, the panelists – including 2022 Youth AgriChampion, Eliud Rugut – discussed the need for strong financial support and political backing for smallholder farmers to adapt to the climate crisis, showcasing best practice examples.
High-level Meeting with Hon. Ildephonse Musafiri, Rwanda’s Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources, and Hon. George Boahen Oduro, Former Deputy Minister for Food and Agriculture of Ghana, to present the Youth AgriChampions Demand Paper 2024.
The team learned about the agricultural challenges and several climate solutions being implemented in Rwanda and Ghana, underscoring the essential role of youth to drive these efforts and the need for greater recognition of the impact youth have. The team also met with Ghanaian youth representatives from AGRA, exploring cooperation avenues to elevate each other’s mandates.
Visiting the I&J Harvest Seed Company in the Rwamagana district of Rwanda, met the founder and learned first-hand from farmers about climate-resilient and nutrient-rich seed varieties.
The BKMC CEO Monika Froehler and team, and its Youth AgriChampions visited I&J Harvest’s farms to explore their seed systems and learn how smallholder farmers adapt their agricultural practices to the climate crisis. During the visit, Emma Uwera, founder of I&J Harvest, shared her insights into the production and marketing of fortified, iron-rich beans, highlighting the significant benefits for smallholder farmers, especially women. The team was joined by Yvonne Munyangeri from CGIAR-CIAT, who discussed her efforts to support farmers in making informed decisions about crops and harvests, thus enhancing their resilience to climate shocks. The visit culminated in an engaging interaction with I&J Harvest farmers, who shared their passion for their work and their seamless integration of traditional and innovative agricultural practices into their daily routines. Watch the field trip video:
Speaking on CNBC Africa alongside CGIAR Executive Managing Director Ismahane Elouafi and BKMC Youth AgriChampion Brian Kithinji.
BKMC CEO Monika Froehler, in her interview with CNBC Africa, highlighted the powerful partnership between the BKMC and CGIAR, emphasizing the critical need for sustained funding in agricultural research. She stressed that CGIAR’s cutting-edge innovations are essential for strengthening agri-food systems and securing the livelihoods of smallholder farmers—the backbone of global food security—by making these systems more resilient in the face of the climate crisis. The interview will be published late October 2024.
Connecting with partner organizations working on agricultural adaptation and food security, like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, AGRA, SDG2 Hub, Crop Trust, African Leadership Academy, and many others.
The BKMC team engaged in focused discussions with like-minded organizations on forging impactful partnerships to accelerate SDG achievement and scaling up innovative financing solutions.