The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) invites journalists to the Africa Science & Innovation Forum (ASIF), taking place from 27 to 29 October 2026 at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa Conference Centre in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Africa faces a persistent challenge: how to turn scientific advances and promising innovations into practical solutions that can improve food production, nutrition and livelihoods at scale. ASIF will focus on bridging this gap and is presented in collaboration with the Government of Ethiopia’s Agricultural Transformation Institute, the African Union Commission (AUC), the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) and other partners.
“ASIF is about turning Africa’s scientific knowledge and innovations into practical solutions that improve food security, strengthen resilience and create better opportunities for farmers, women and young people,” said Abebe Haile-Gabriel, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Africa.
The Forum is expected to contribute to a regional roadmap aimed at strengthening research and innovation institutions and supporting long-term transformation.
The high-level opening ceremony will take place from 09:00 to 10:30 on Tuesday, 27 October.
Key topics
Discussions across the three days will include innovations for crops, livestock, fisheries and aquaculture; nutrition, food safety and healthy diets; reducing food loss and waste; agro-industrialization; sustainable management of land, water, soil and ecosystems; digital early warning and anticipatory action; biodiversity and the bioeconomy; and inclusive innovation for women, young people, small-scale producers and agribusinesses.
The Forum will also address how scientific evidence can better inform policy and decision-making, and how innovative financing, public-private partnerships and South-South and Triangular Cooperation can help take successful innovations to scale.
Interviews, stories and visual opportunities for media
Journalists attending ASIF will have opportunities to interview senior FAO representatives, scientists, policymakers and innovators. Forum speakers include:
Addisu Arega, Minister of Agriculture, Ethiopia
Mandefro Nigussie, Chief Executive Officer, Agricultural Transformation Institute (ATI), Ethiopia
Abebe Haile-Gabriel, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Africa
Charles Spillane, FAO Chief Scientist
and many more. See the agenda for the full list.
Innovators at the Forum include:
Lavender Birike from Klima360 who is using AI and data to forecast climate risks and help farmers build resilience;
Temitope Odedeyi from the University College London who is developing THRIVE, an AI-enabled platform providing crop intelligence for climate-resilient agriculture;
Zelalem Admasu Hunegnaw of Ethiopia’s Mizan-Tepi University who is using genomics and community-based conservation to help protect Ethiopia’s Sheko cattle breed;
Faith Mutisya from Kenya’s Tumbe Seaweed Farmers who is using climate-smart seaweed farming to create livelihood opportunities for women and youth;
Anna Ekeledo who is Executive Director Emeritus of AfriLabs which represents a network of more than 500 technology and innovation hubs across 53 African countries;
Patrick Yawo Kpai from BOF BioGrow Solutions Ltd that is turning organic waste into fertilizers and biostimulants;
Tunde Adeyemi from Nigeria’s D-Olivette Labs that is converting agricultural and livestock waste into clean energy and biofertilizer;
Researchers from the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre who will showcase how nuclear techniques can address practical agricultural challenges, including the Sterile Insect Technique that uses radiation to sterilize male tsetse flies to help control trypanosomiasis in livestock;
and many, many more.
A major exhibition running alongside the Forum gives journalists an opportunity to see technologies and products first-hand, capture demonstrations and speak directly with innovators.
Media registration
Journalists interested in attending ASIF in person should register their interest before 20 October by emailing:
Source: www.fao.org
