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EWS-KT at the UN Food Systems Summit

Posted On: August 2, 2025
Elijah Mwashayenyi, EWS-KT Head of Knowledge Transfer for Africa, at the 2nd UN Food Systems Summit Stocktake (UNFSS+4).
Elijah Mwashayenyi at UNFSS+4.

Elijah Mwashayenyi, Head of Knowledge Transfer for Africa at East-West Seed Knowledge Transfer Foundation, was invited to participate in the 2nd UN Food Systems Summit Stocktake (UNFSS+4) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, this week.

As a reflector for the Public-Private Collaboration for Seed Systems Transformation side-event on 29 July, Elijah emphasized the importance of public-private partnerships for providing holistic support to smallholder farmers in a scalable and sustainable way.

During the discussion, which was facilitated by SeedNL Director Willem Schoustra, Elijah explained how EWS-KT builds the capacity of vegetable farmers through a combination of hands-on training at farmer-managed demonstration plots, EWS-KT learning farms, radio programs, social media, and digital and printed learning materials.

Elijah Mwashayenyi, EWS-KT Head of Knowledge Transfer for Africa, ready to participate as a side-event reflector at the 2nd UN Food Systems Summit Stocktake (UNFSS+4).

Elijah at the side-event.

As an example of the power of public-private partnerships, he pointed to a recent initiative in Nigeria undertaken by EWS-KT in partnership with the Kaduna State Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Ahmadu Bello University, Wageningen University & Research, and Solidaridad, with funding from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO).

The impact of this 5-year project included more than 208,000 farmers trained in improved vegetable cultivation techniques by EWS-KT, government extension agents, and agro-input dealers. In addition, the project drove the creation of more vegetable enterprises and raised participation in agriculture by women and youth, leading to a reduction in economic migration by youth in the project areas.

The food system challenges facing farmers and consumers are too great to tackle alone. Public-private partnerships are part of the solution.

Also taking part in the Public-Private Collaboration for Seed Systems Transformation event were:

Pitchers:

  • Professor Nigussie Dechassa (Ethiopia), Director General, Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR)
  • Abdulrazak Ibrahim (Ghana), Cluster Lead, Institutional Capacity & Future Scenarios, FARA
  • Michael Keller (Switzerland), Secretary General, International Seed Federation; Representative, Seeds for Food Coalition
  • Wampie Libon (Netherlands), Director, Inclusive Green Growth, Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Member, Seeds for Food Coalition

Reflectors:

  • Andnet Bayleyegn (Ethiopia), Senior Advisor, SNV HortiLife
  • Moti Jaleta Debello (Ethiopia), Sustainable Agrifood Systems Program, CIMMYT/CGIAR
  • Adrian Cano Guerrero (Spain), Leader, Private Sector Development and Trade, EU Delegation to Ethiopia
  • Dina Kebede (Ethiopia), Youth Representative, World Food Forum – FAO
  • Nico Wilms-Posen (Germany), Project Coordinator, Crop Trust

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