On 1 November, 2023 within the 19th RUFORUM Annual General Meeting the IOFS conducted the side-event titled “Building Food Systems Governance and Policy Analysis Capacity in Africa” aimed to present best practices in food policy education to principals of RUFORUM member universities, with a specific focus on food security policy and governance. This objective is to increase universities’s capacity to empower a new generation of professionals capable of analysing and managing interdisciplinary food security and agriculture subjects. Representatives of academia, government agencies, international organizations, graduates of universities attended the side-event.
The activity was enriched with interventions of i) Dr. Ali Chalak, Associate Professor at the American University of Beirut with presentation on the first educational programs of M.Sc. and Diploma Program in the MENA region joining virtually; ii) Dr. Mohamed Elkaramany, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Public Policy at the American University in Cairo with presentation on food policy and food security studies through the broader perspectives of social and environmental policy, social entrepreneurship, governance, accountability and stakeholder negotiations; iii) Dr. Asif Kamran, Professor of Agriculture Policy at the University of Agriculture Faisalabad with presentation on food security policy and governance system; as well as iv) Mr. Bakytzhan Arystanbek, IOFS Program Manager with presentation on inclusion of good practices in education of food policy and governance.
RUFORUM and participants thanked the IOFS for organizing a side-event and being a bridge between African-Arab-African universities and promoting the food security education.
Subsequently, the IOFS delegation was received by Honorable Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (MINADER) of the Republic of Cameroon His Excellency Gabriel Mbairobe. Mr. Sofian Ben Mouaddeb thanked H.E. Gabriel Mbairobe for receiving the delegation, the involvement of Mr. Maina Hamadou National Coordinator of the National Food Security and Monitoring Programme (PNVVRSA) actively involving as the IOFS Executive Board member, as well as emphasized that IOFS is keen to cooperate with the Ministry to conduct certain activities in Cameroon and informed on importance of contributions of Member States to the IOFS.
Honorable Minister thanked for IOFS’s participation at RUFORUM and introducing the expertise with Cameroon universities, as well as requested to send details on contributions, and stressed the importance of food security reserves and conducting activities in Cameroon on other areas of agriculture development for Central Africa.
On the last day of the RUFORUM AGM, 2 November 2023, the IOFS delegation attended the concluding Business Meeting and Official Closing of the event. The head of IOFS delegation Mr. Sofian Ben Mouaddeb made a closing statement thanking the Cameroon Government for hosting the event and RUFORUM for inviting to the 19th Annual General Meeting.
Closing remarks touched upon the IOFS’s “Africa Food Security Initiative” (AFSI) that demonstrates organization’s unwavering dedication to addressing challenges and implementing projects for sustainable food systems in Africa. Through AFSI, IOFS implements various activities and initiatives to enhance agricultural productivity, value chains, and the quality of life in Africa.
Mr. Sofian Ben Mouaddeb shared the appreciation to participate in a panel discussion titled "Accelerating economic growth: trends, youth, policy, and futures", to discuss and exchange ideas on the critical aspects of economic growth, youth engagement, and policy development in the context of food security and agriculture. The IOFS also thanked for conducting the productive side event between IOFS and RUFORUM on the topic of "Building Food Systems Governance and Policy Analysis Capacity in Africa”. This activity closely aligns with joint commitment to strengthening the governance and policy analysis within food systems, with the aim of ensuring lasting food security and sustainability in the region.
The head of IOFS delegation also highlighted some of IOFS initiatives in Africa that have been just launched, such as the Water Management Integrated Plan in Niger, the Mauritania Wheat Development Project, and Meat Hub Project in Nigeria. These projects aim to improve water management, strengthen food value chains, and enhance the meat processing industry in African Member States.
At the end, the IOFS delegation had a bilateral meeting with Prof. Patrick Okori, Executive Secretary of the RUFORUM where the sides outlined the close cooperation of working teams of the IOFS and RUFORUM, agreed to share planned activities for 2024 and expand the cooperation to another new level.
