We had a fantastic time at the AGRF 2022 summit in Kigali, Rwanda, where over 2000 stakeholders, industry leaders, and changemakers in Africa’s agricultural landscape engaged in dialogue about transforming Africa’s food systems. 

This year, AFEX held an insightful side event session on the topic, "Finance for Agri-SMEs in times of crises: Opportunities and Challenges" in collaboration with SAFIN and IFAD. We also participated in a couple of thought-provoking panel sessions at the summit, all aligned with the theme, which is, “Grow. Nourish. Reward. Bold Actions for Resilient Food Systems”.

In case you missed the sessions, here are some of the impactful statements that were made by the speakers:

• There is the potential for SMEs to drive inclusive agricultural growth by connecting smallholder farmers & workers with buyers & consumers.
• To unlock more capital for Climate Smart Agriculture, we need to create an ecosystem of service providers that can engage youth in agriculture and provide bundled solutions. It will reduce the barrier to adoption and start-up cost.
•  Adaptation is key if we are to de-risk farmers so that we can improve their productivity and produce throughout the year.
• It’s time to think about the Future of Farm in Africa and drive youth participation in agriculture. We are designing a model for farmers to earn 20k USD from their businesses and create a more robust and sustainable sector.