As dawn breaks over Dakar, Senegal, the Africa Food Systems Forum 2025 (AFSF) convenes under the weight of a sobering reality: 307 million Africans, representing one in five people in the continent, face hunger daily, according to the 2025 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report. The United Nations’ goal to eradicate hunger by 2030 feels increasingly distant, with Africa grappling with climate shocks, conflict, and economic instability. Against this backdrop, the forum isn’t just a conference; it’s a crucible for ideas, where the continent’s youth are emerging as potential catalysts for change.
The Forum, with this year’s theme “Africa’s Youth is Leading Collaboration, Innovation and Implementation of Agri-Food Systems Transformation,” reflects a growing consensus that young Africans must drive the continent’s agricultural future. But is this vision a realistic path forward, or a hopeful ideal in the face of systemic challenges?
A Crisis Too Big to Ignore
The numbers are stark. The SOFI report underscores that global hunger is rising, with Africa bearing a disproportionate burden. Climate change disrupts harvests, conflicts displace farmers, and economic volatility limits access to resources. The forum’s focus on youth leadership acknowledges a demographic reality: with over 60 percent of Africa’s population under 25, young people are not just stakeholders but the engine of progress.
Yet, the scale of the challenge raises questions. Can youth-led initiatives, even with innovative ideas, overcome entrenched barriers like limited access to finance, land, and markets? Programs like Heifer International’s AYuTe NextGen offer evidence of potential. Since 2021, AYuTe has invested USD 11 million in nearly 100 agri-tech startups, created 23,000 jobs, and supported 3.5 million smallholder farmers. These efforts point to the power of targeted investment, but they also highlight the gap between current impact and the continent’s vast needs.
From Aid to Ecosystems
Traditional aid models, often criticized for fostering dependency, are giving way to approaches that prioritize local ownership. Organizations are increasingly acting as facilitators, connecting young innovators with capital and markets. For example, the partnership between Heifer International and Hello Tractor uses technology to provide smallholder farmers with affordable mechanization, boosting productivity and incomes. Aceli Africa’s recent report highlights how such models, paired with blended finance, can scale sustainably.
But scaling remains a hurdle. While initiatives like these show promise, their reach is limited compared to the millions of farmers in need. Structural issues such as inadequate infrastructure, restrictive land policies, and gender disparities demand broader policy reforms, which youth-led programs alone may struggle to influence.
Voices from the Ground
At the community level, the impact of localized efforts is undeniable. In Senegal, where rural women often lack access to formal banking, community-based savings and loans groups have bridged the gap. Aissatou Deh, treasurer of the JAM Group, shared a powerful testament: “Before, each of us struggled alone. Now, with training and savings, every woman runs a business, earns income, and leads. We’re shaping our future and passing it on.”
Such stories underscore the potential of grassroots solutions to empower marginalized groups, particularly women, who are critical to food security.
Still, these successes are pockets of progress in a fragmented landscape. Systemic barriers, like exclusion from financial systems, require more than community-driven fixes, they demand institutional change.
A Blueprint for Change
The AFSF 2025 agenda emphasizes three priorities: equipping young innovators with agtech and climate-smart tools, fostering community-driven value chains, and expanding access to finance. Side events will showcase youth-led innovations, deal rooms will attract investors, and farmer voices will highlight local successes. These efforts aim to move beyond traditional aid toward sustainable ecosystems.
Yet, scepticism is warranted. Can youth-led innovation scale fast enough to outpace the growing hunger crisis? The forum’s focus on collaboration and investment is promising, but without coordinated government action and private-sector commitment, even the most brilliant ideas risk stalling. Historical aid models, while flawed, often filled immediate gaps; can ecosystem facilitation deliver results at the same speed?
Listening to lead with decades of experience, organizations like Heifer International argue that lasting change requires listening to communities and empowering local leaders.
Adesuwa Ifedi, Heifer’s Senior Vice President of Africa Programs, emphasizes “bold, collaborative action” that evolves beyond donor-driven models. This philosophy aligns with the forum’s youth-centric vision, positioning young Africans as the present, not just the future.
The question remains: will the systems around them evolve quickly enough to support their potential? The AFSF 2025 is a critical moment to confront this challenge, offering a platform to amplify youth voices and attract the resources needed to turn vision into reality.
Africa’s food future hangs in the balance, and its youth may hold the key – but only if the world listens.
Chinedu Ozordi has an extensive background in journalism and has led newsrooms across West Africa. He is currently a senior consultant at Lantern Comitas, a UK-based communication agency.
Contributed by Chinedu Ozordi
