Back on the Big Stage: EWS-KT at Africa Food Systems Forum 2025

By Elijah Mwashayenyi, EWS-KT Head of Knowlege Transfer for Africa

An East-West Seed Knowledge Transfer Foundation (EWS-KT) team from Africa was once again on the big stage: the Africa Food Systems Forum 2025, held in Dakar, Senegal, from 31 August to 5 September. It was EWS-KT’s first foray into French-speaking Africa, and it was well worth it. This was a huge event, with over 6,000 people registered to attend.

The team comprised Elijah Mwashayenyi (Head of Knowledge Transfer for Africa), Epaphras Milambwe (Knowledge Transfer Manager for Tanzania), Ruth Ardzard (Knowledge Transfer Manager for Nigeria), and Joshua Mwanguhya (Knowledge Transfer Manager for Uganda), joined by East-West Seed vegetable breeder Pamela Afokpe.

Bringing different experiences from East and West Africa allowed for holistic engagement with audiences. Add the support of Albisia, the East-West Seed distributor in Senegal, who was able to get a table nearby, and we had just what attendees ordered: vegetable farming knowledge and quality seeds.

Our Booth: A Magnet for Attention

With more than 70 booths at the Africa Food Systems Forum, it was not easy to stand out. At last year’s event, held in Kigali, it was our tower of pumpkins that attracted attention. This time around, we had even more to offer:

• The pumpkin attraction was still there.
• Our knowledge transfer approach (epitomized by demonstrations on farmers’ fields, alongside quality learning materials and outreach through radio and digital media) continued to fascinate visitors.
• Seedlings raised in mango leaf pots and eggshells surprised many in the audience.
• Crop and technical guides (also available online) went out like hotcakes. 
• Requests for East-West Seed’s quality seeds remained constant. With the Senegal distributor present at the event and information shared at the booth for how to access seeds in other African countries, these visitors not only learned about our knowledge transfer work but left with seed connection resources.

The Sessions

The theme of the event was “Africa’s Youth: Leading Collaboration, Innovation, and the Implementation of Agri-Food Systems Transformation,” a fitting selection that offered hope for the younger generation and the sustainability of agriculture. The sessions came thick and fast, and we juggled between the sessions, attending to visitors at our booth, and meeting with partners and prospective partners. The latter is critical, as all stakeholders agreed that the best way to support farmers (especially smallholders) is to work together.

As one speaker put it, our challenge is not the lack of relevant people in the value chains or lack of initiatives. It is not even about passion; the youth at the event thundered that they have passion but need training and mentorship. The challenge is instead about connectivity. As Wampie Libon (Director of Inclusive Green Growth and Ambassador of Sustainable Development, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Netherlands) said, “it is about working together.” Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Rwandan President Paul Kagame concurred, saying at the launch of the event that “we need to support our youths to thrive through partnerships.”

Connecting

The Africa Food Systems Forum is a melting pot of anything related to agriculture and food. That means most stakeholders in the sector turn up for the event. So it is a good forum for networking with partners and potential partners. IFDC, GAIN, World Vegetable Center, Mercy Corps, Solidaridad, Wageningen University & Research, and the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs were just some of the partners we met with. We also talked with several organizations to explore areas for future partnership or collaboration.

The event was also an opportunity to connect with some of our farmers, especially those we had never met in person. In the photo above, Knowledge Transfer Manager for Nigeria Ruth Ardzard is shown talking (in Hausa) with a farmer from Niger who has been following the EWS-KT Nigeria Facebook Group, Noman Lambu. He recognized her from the group. Our radio and digital media have positioned us to reach a wider audience, beyond where our field teams can reach. 

We Will Be Back

AFSF 2025 has come and gone. Only the memories linger.

These include:

• Youth finally being at the agriculture table in a meaningful way.
• Captivating event delegates with our approach and techniques.
• Fruitful discussions with partners and potential partners.
• Linking attendees with vegetable farming knowledge and sources for quality vegetable seeds.
• A clear demand for our services in Senegal and the rest of French-speaking Africa. We are currently in Uganda, Tanzania, South Sudan, Nigeria, and Ghana, all Anglophone countries.

The Africa Food Systems Forum is not an event to be missed. We do not know yet where the next event will be held, but one thing is for sure: EWS-KT will be there. 

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