IFPRI is participating in a regional dialogue, which will take place as an invitation-only event during the African Green Revolution Forum 2019 (AGRF) on September 5, 2019 in Accra, Ghana. 

The AGRF brings together key stakeholders involved in African agriculture to discuss and commit to programs, investments, and policies designed to achieve inclusive and sustainable agricultural transformation in the continent.

With this year’s thematic focus on “Leveraging Digital Transformation to Drive Sustainable Food Systems in Africa,” the AGRF 2019 provides a highly suitable venue for this regional dialogue, which will contribute to recommendations for addressing the most pressing needs/challenges in analyzing and predicting food crises and the development of FSP tools, including the Excessive Food Price Variability tool, the Early Warning Hub, and other policy analysis tools.

Some key questions to be addressed at the FSP regional policy dialogue include:

• Is there a need to improve the current early warning, early action (EWEA) systems to prevent and address food crises? Would it be feasible and desirable to invest in real-time monitoring instruments that make use of new digital technology, including satellite images and AI to identify food crisis risk factors?
• How are existing EWEA systems currently used in food crisis-affected countries? Are they serving to provide timely and adequate responses?
• Is there a need to tailor the international EWEA systems to country needs? If so how and what should donors and international organizations do? How could the Food Security Portal support such efforts?

Opening Session

• David Nabarro, Strategic Director, Skills, Systems and Synergies for Sustainable Development (moderator) 

Setting the Stage

• Shenggen Fan, Director General, IFPRI

The Food Security Portal and Early Warning System hub for Food Crisis Prevention

• Rob Vos, Coordinator for Food Security Portal and Director of Markets, Trade and Institutions, IFPRI

Global Network Against Food Crises and the Need for Improved Early Warning Early Action Systems

• Roberto Schiliro, Head of Section, on behalf of Ambassador Diana Acconcia, of the European Union, Ghana

Panel Discussion: Relevance of and ways to Improve Early Warning Systems?

• Gerardine Mukeshimana, Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources of Rwanda
• Mahalmoudou Hamadoun, Coordinator for the Regional Food Security and Nutrition’s of CILSS
• Sheryl Hendriks, Professor at the Department of Agricultural Economics, Extension, and Rural Development, University of Pretoria
• Rhoda Peace Tumusiime, Former Commissioner, Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture of the African Union
• Dominique Burgeon, Director of Emergencies and Rehabilitation and Strategic Programme Leader for Resilience at FAO
• Gordon Conway, Professor of International Development, Imperial College London

Roundtable Discussion

Closing Remarks