Regional Policy Dialogue on Strengthening South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) for Agrifood System Transformation in Sub-Saharan Africa
Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), Hybrid Event, 09/07/2025 - 10/07/2025
The Regional Policy Dialogue on Strengthening South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) for Agrifood System Transformation in Sub-Saharan Africa will take place on 9–10 July 2025 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in a hybrid format. Hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Regional Office for Africa in collaboration with the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania, this high-level dialogue will showcase the role of SSTC in transforming agrifood systems.
The event will bring together government officials, regional organizations, the private sector, donors, and SSTC practitioners to discuss policy, financing, technology, and partnerships. The goal is to develop actionable strategies that align SSTC with national priorities, strengthen coordination, and scale up innovation for climate-resilient food systems across Africa.
The event also forms part of FAO’s 365 days of action under the FAO at 80 anniversary which is being observed throughout 2025.
Objectives
• strengthen institutional coordination and advance SSTC by consolidating policy frameworks, resource mobilization, and partnership strategies
• facilitate exchange and adaptation of scalable agrifood innovations through cross-country collaboration and experiential learning
• drive climate-resilient agrifood systems leveraging SSTC to improve productivity, food systems, and rural livelihoods
• build multi-regional partnerships across Africa, Asia, and Latin America to promote inclusive agricultural development
• ensure alignment of SSTC with national priorities and Country Programming Frameworks (CPFs)
• formulate actionable strategies to enhance institutional capacity and inter-ministerial coordination for SSTC implementation.
Target Participants
• Government officials from Ministries of Agriculture, Planning, Finance, and Foreign Affairs from African, Asian, and Latin American countries
• Regional Economic Communities
• Private sector actors involved in agribusiness and innovation
• Financial partners and International Financial Institutions (IFIs)
• Academics, researchers, and SSTC practitioners
• FAO colleagues
Expected Outcomes
1. Enhanced understanding of institutional coordination and financing strategies to scale SSTC.
2. Stronger partnerships between countries and institutions for food systems transformation.
3. Concrete policy recommendations to align SSTC with national priorities and sector strategies.
4. Draft country roadmaps and action plans for SSTC institutionalisation and resource mobilisation.
5. Commitments to follow-up actions, including inter-ministerial platforms and joint SSTC initiatives.
Detailed Agenda
Day 1 - Wednesday July 9, 2025
| Time | Session | Lead / Resource Person |
|---|---|---|
| 08:30 – 09:00 | Registration and Welcome Coffee | All |
| 09:00 – 09:40 | Opening Ceremony: - FAO ADG/Regional Rep - Host Minister (Tanzania) - FAO Rep Tanzania - FAO PST SSTC Director | FAO, Host Government |
| 09:40 – 09:55 | Objectives and Expected Outcomes | Peter Anaadumba, FAO RAF |
| 09:55 – 10:10 | Keynote: SSTC as a Catalyst for Agrifood Systems Transformation | FAO -PST |
| 10:10 – 10:25 | Group Photo and Coffee Break | All |
| 10:25 – 10:35 | Presentation 1: Institutional coordination of South-South Cooperation in Uganda | Uganda ministry of agriculture |
| 10:35 – 12:30 | Panel 1: Institutionalizing SSTC in National and Regional Frameworks | Moderated by Mark Fynn, FAO-RAF Policy Officer |
| 12:30 – 13:30 | Lunch Break | All |
| 13:30 – 13:40 | Presentation 2: SSTC Resource mobilization in Sierra Leone | Sierra Leone Ministry of Agriculture |
| 13:40 – 15:00 | Panel 2: Financing and Partnerships for SSTC | Moderated by FAO Resource mobilization Division representative – PSR |
| 15:00 – 15:30 | Coffee Break | All |
| 15:30 – 17:00 | Roundtable: Country and REC Experiences - Scaling SSTC Best Practices | Facilitated Session |
| 17:00 – 17:30 | Wrap-Up Day 1: Key Takeaways and Preview of Day 2 | Facilitator |
Day 2 - Thursday July 10, 2025
| Time | Session | Lead / Resource Person |
|---|---|---|
| 09:00 – 09:15 | Recap of Day 1 / Icebreaker | Facilitator |
| 09:15 – 09:25 | Presentation 3: Designing the Namibia SSTC project | Namibia Ministry of Agriculture |
| 09:15 – 10:15 | Panel 3: Aligning SSTC with National Priorities and Country Programming Frameworks (CPF) | Moderated by Athifa Ali, FAO Project Officer PST |
| 10:15 – 10:30 | Coffee Break | All |
| 10:30 – 10:40 | Presentation 4: Fall Armyworm Tech Exchange | FAO-NSP |
| 10:40 – 11:30 | Panel 4: Technology Transfer and Scalable Innovations through SSTC | Moderated by Peter Anaadumba, FAO-RAF SSTC officer |
| 11:30 – 12:30 | Breakout 1: Scaling Up SSTC Best Practices and Technologies (4 Thematic Groups) | Group Facilitators |
| 12:30 – 13:30 | Lunch Break | All |
| 13:30 – 14:15 | Plenary: Group Reports - Priority Recommendations | Rapporteurs / Facilitator |
| 14:15 – 15:00 | Breakout 2: Monitoring, Evaluation, and Action Planning for SSTC | Group Facilitators |
| 15:00 – 15:15 | Coffee Break | All |
| 15:15 – 15:45 | Plenary: Group Reports - Action Points and Roadmap | Rapporteurs |
| 15:45 – 16:15 | Closing Session: - Summary of Dialogue - Adoption of Roadmap and Next Steps | Facilitator |
| 16:15 – 16:30 | Closing Remarks: - FAO Representative - Host Minister - REC Representative | FAO / Host |