31 August 31 – 5 September, 2025
Dakar, Senegal
The Africa Food Systems Forum (AFSF) 2025 is the continent’s leading platform for advancing food and agriculture. It brings together leaders from government, business, research, development organizations, and, most importantly, young people shaping Africa’s food future.
This year’s theme, “Africa’s Youth: Leading Collaboration, Innovation, and the Implementation of Agri-Food Systems Transformation,” aligns closely with Heifer International’s strategy to build inclusive, resilient and sustainable food systems, led by youth and centered on smallholder farmers.
As a strategic partner, Heifer International will highlight practical solutions, financing models and youth-led innovations that are helping smallholder farmers overcome today’s most pressing challenges.
We will present how collaborative action and systemic shifts toward inclusivity and sustainability are yielding real results, while calling on governments, investors and development partners to prioritize youth led innovation, innovative finance and locally driven solutions as key levers for Africa’s food future.
Heifer leaders, including the President & CEO and members of the Board of Directors and regional teams, will take part in high-level plenaries, thematic sessions and side events. Discussions will explore:
Day 1 – Monday, September 2025, 15:00 – 18:00 GMT
Plenary: African Food Systems Year in Review: Holding ourselves accountable, how much have we progressed?
Location: Auditorium
Panelist: Nomsa Daniels, Board Member, Heifer International
Day 2 – Tuesday, 2 September 2025, 10:30 – 12:00 GMT
Plenary: Empower Women in Agri-Food Systems: Advancing Nutrition & Health
Location: Auditorium
Panelist: Surita Sandosham, President & CEO, Heifer International
14:30 – 16:00 GMT
Digitalisation & AI 4 Next Gen Youth Driven Digital Innovation in African Food Systems
Location: Auditorium
Panelist: Adesuwa Ifedi, Africa Senior Vice President, Heifer International
Day 3 – Wednesday, 3 September 2025, 14:00 – 16:00 GMT
Empower Her: Next-gen Women in Agri-Food (Cross-Generational Mentorship Session)
Location: Youth Dome
Panelist: Adesuwa Ifedi, Africa Senior Vice President, Heifer International
16:30 – 18:00 GMT
Thematic Session: Agri-Tech & Digitalisation
Location: Hall A – Thematic Hall
Panelist: Mr. Dayo Aduroja, Director – Youth & Tech Innovation, Africa, Heifer International
Day 4 – Thursday, 4 September 2025, 10:30 – 12:30 GMT
Honouring African Agripreneurs (Celebration of the African Agripreneurs and GAFP Fellows Graduation)
Location: Youth Dome
Panelist: Surita Sandosham, President & CEO, Heifer International
12:00 – 13:30 GMT
Roundtable: Civil Society Forum
Location: Oval Room
Panelist: Esther Cohen, Board Chair, Heifer International
14:30 – 17:00 GMT
Plenary: Closing Ceremony
Location: Auditorium
Panelist: Adesuwa Ifedi, Africa Senior Vice President, Heifer International
Wednesday, 3 September 2025, 18:00 – 19:30 GMT
Heifer Side Event: Youth as the Architects of Africa’s Agricultural Future
This session will spotlight youth not only as entrepreneurs but also as planners and system-builders. It will bring together young agripreneurs, investor and policymakers to debate how innovation, inclusive finance and local leadership can redefine agriculture across Africa.
Location: Youth Dome
Tuesday, 2 September 2025, 09:00 – 13:30 GMT
Heifer-Led Deal Room Session
A half-day series of candid, high-impact conversations with investors, governments and innovators. These sessions will challenge traditional donor models and explore how blended finance and catalytic capital can scale locally led solutions.
Location: Deal Room 1
31 August 31 – 5 September 2025
Exhibition Booth
Visit our booth in Dakar or join us online to connect with our teams across eight African countries. Explore initiatives like AYuTe Africa NextGen and our catalytic finance partnerships driving impact for smallholder farmers.
Follow @HeiferAfrica for live updates, speaker highlights and impact stories throughout the week of the Forum.
Heifer International, in partnership with Hello Tractor, has introduced an innovative blended financing model aimed at improving access to agricultural machinery for smallholder farmers and boosting entrepreneurship for youth in Africa.
A 2024 report by Aceli Africa and Dalberg confirms the significant impact of the collaboration between Heifer International and Hello Tractor in unlocking agricultural finance for resource constrained smallholder farmers across Africa.
Meet the youth-led startups turning bold ideas into real change for farmers across Africa.
A young engineer’s love for bees sparks a breakthrough invention that’s changing how honey is made.
In Nigeria, one tractor is more than a machine. It’s a business, a livelihood and a catalyst for change in farming communities.
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