The Soil Values program participated in the opening ceremony of the Africa Food Systems (AFS) Forum, joining stakeholders from across the continent to mark the Forum’s 20th anniversary.

On September 2 in Kigali, Rwanda, the Soil Values program participated in the opening ceremony of the Africa Food Systems (AFS) Forum, marking the start of the Forum’s 20th anniversary celebrations. Soil Values joined stakeholders from across the continent to reflect on two decades of progress and explore how experience can be translated into action for the future.

For the Soil Values program consortium, led by the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) in partnership with SNV and Wageningen University and Research (WUR), the milestone provided an opportunity to strengthen partnerships, share lessons, and connect agricultural solutions with the priorities shaping Africa’s next phase of food systems transformation. This important platform was a fitting opportunity for Soil Values to advance collaboration around sustainable soil management and resilient agriculture.

It is an opportunity to build partnerships with other organizations, share and learn, and translate lessons into sustainable actions improving the lives of 1.5 million farmers.
Dr. Alimata Arzouma Bandaogo, Soil Values Deputy Program Director – Technical

Leaders from across the continent convene at the opening ceremony of the AFS Forum to celebrate two decades of progress and explore pathways for strengthening Africa’s food systems in the years ahead.

Turning Partnerships and Knowledge into Action

The anniversary created space not only to reflect on two decades of dialogue but more importantly, to look to the future and focus on what is needed to make a greater impact for farmers. Dr. Alimata Arzouma Bandaogo, Soil Values Deputy Program Director – Technical, explained how Soil Values can contribute to this new phase: “It is an opportunity to build partnerships with other organizations, share and learn, and translate lessons into sustainable actions improving the lives of 1.5 million farmers.”

Dr. Bandaogo’s perspective indicates a central challenge for agricultural transformation: solutions and knowledge must move beyond individual initiatives and become part of stronger systems capable of delivering lasting results. Soil Values contributes to this need by connecting technical expertise, innovation, partnerships, and field-level implementation to address the constraints that continue to affect farmers across Africa.

Alain Sy Traoré attends the opening ceremony of the AFS Forum as participants gather to mark the Forum’s 20th anniversary.

Moving From Dialogue to Delivery

After 20 years of convening stakeholders around Africa’s food systems, the AFS Forum is entering its next phase with a stronger emphasis on implementation, investment, and accountability. Amath Pathe Sene, Managing Director of the AFS Forum, described this evolution as a shift “from convening to action, from dialogue to investment, from commitment to delivery, from an annual summit to a year-round accountability platform.”

The shift is especially relevant as Africa faces increasingly complex agricultural challenges. To truly deliver food security, commitments must be supported by investment, effective policies, innovation, functioning markets, and partnerships capable of translating priorities into action – all of which Soil Values works toward.

Participants fill the venue during the opening ceremony of the AFS Forum in Kigali, Rwanda.

Addressing Africa’s Untapped Agricultural Potential

One focus of this action is Africa’s significant agricultural potential. The continent boasts land, water resources, favorable climatic conditions in many regions, and a largely young population; yet these advantages have not translated into sufficient food security and resilience for millions of people.

At the AFS Forum opening ceremony, Dr. Justin Nsengiyumva, Prime Minister of Rwanda, emphasized the urgency of addressing the gap between potential and outcomes, as climate change, population growth, urbanization, and evolving investment directions continue to increase pressure on agriculture. Soil Values can help close this gap by strengthening the foundations of agricultural productivity while addressing the broader systems that influence farmers’ ability to produce, invest, and adapt. These systems include soil health, inputs, farmer knowledge, markets, finance, technology, and enabling policies.

The opening ceremony of the AFS Forum brought together a diverse community of stakeholders committed to strengthening food systems across the continent.

Putting Soil Health at the Center

For Africa to reach its potential and undergo sustainable agricultural transformation, healthy soils are fundamental. Declining soil fertility, climate variability, and limited access to appropriate soil fertility solutions continue to constrain productivity and farmer livelihoods across the continent.

The Soil Values program is addressing these challenges by promoting sustainable soil fertility management and resilient agricultural systems tailored to local soil, climate, and farming conditions, with the goal of improving the livelihoods of 1.5 million farmers. This approach connects the broader food systems agenda – for example, the Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health (AFSH) Action Plan and the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Strategy and Action Plan – with practical action. Improving soil health must not be an isolated objective because it contributes to so many outcomes: productivity, resilience, food security, farmers’ capacity to respond to changing conditions, and more.

Building the Next Chapter of Africa’s Food Systems

The AFS Forum’s 20th anniversary celebration invited more than a reflection on its past work; it was an opportunity for accumulated experience to accelerate action and strengthen the systems needed for Africa’s agricultural future. For Soil Values, participating in this milestone event reinforced the importance of collaboration, practical implementation, and measurable impact. Soil Values is helping translate these priorities into action by connecting healthy soils, agricultural productivity, innovation, and partnerships.

The next 20 years will depend on turning knowledge into execution, partnerships into collective action, and commitments into results that improve the lives and livelihoods of farmers and communities across Africa. The Soil Values consortium members and knowledge partners are committed to contributing to this agenda through the program itself as well as their own initiatives.