Putting greens and beans at the center of nutritious and resilient food systems
Sub-Saharan Africa has the lowest per capita consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables in the world. Promoting local production, consumption and trade of nutrient-rich foods offers a clear pathway in response to climatic and economic challenges.
Organized by the World Vegetable Center (WorldVeg) and the Pan-African Bean Research Alliance (PABRA) program of the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, the opening side event of the 2023 Africa Food Systems Forum (AGRF23) - ‘Putting greens and beans at the center of nutritious and resilient food systems’ - will highlight the essential role of vegetables and beans for improving human nutrition, well-being, and building climate change resilience. The side event will share insights from the decades that WorldVeg and PABRA have spent developing more resistant and nutritious crop varieties and production methods as part of building inclusive value chains that benefit women and young people.
The event will take place on Monday 4th September 2023, 08.30-10.00 AM (GMT+3) at Mt. Meru Hall, Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre (JNICC) in Dar es Salaam (Tanzania).
Panelists will engage in an hour-long open debate on the importance of vegetables and beans for women and young across the value chain, sharing experiences in business development, home gardens, and urban gardening, amongst others. The debate will lead to establishing proposals to address the most immediate needs through a broad strategy for nutritious and resilient food systems. The event will conclude by identifying the top five priority actions for achieving food system transformation in Africa.
Panelists
- Gloria Phekani, Managing Director, Milele Agroprocessing Limited, Lilongwe, Malawi.
- Khadija Jabri, Founder and CEO of GBRI food enterprises, Tanzania.
- Joyce Mulila Mitti, Consultant, Zambia, supporting the WorldVeg TAVI project in Eswatini.
- Eliud Birachi, Project Leader and Market Specialist, PABRA and The Alliance Kigali, Rwanda.
- Geoffrey Mkamilo, Director General, Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute. (TARI)
- Sognigbé N'Danikou, Scientist, traditional vegetable conservation and utilization, WorldVeg Eastern and Southern Africa.
- Paul Newnham, Executive Director, Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2 Advocacy Hub.
Moderator
- Marcel Beria, former news anchor for Benin national television, and WorldVeg West and Central Africa.
Opening/closing
- Marco Wopereis, Director General, World Vegetable Centre.
- Juan Lucas Restrepo, Director General, Alliance of Bioversity International and the CIAT, and Global Director, Partnerships and Advocacy, CGIAR.
Meet the Team
Juan Lucas Restrepo
Director General of the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, Trustee for Bioversity International UK/USA
Jean Claude Rubyogo
Lead, Global Bean Program and Director, Pan Africa Bean Research Alliance (PABRA)For further information
Kindly contact Gabriel Rugalema, WorldVeg Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa or Jean Claude Rubyogo, Bean Programme Leader and PABRA Director.