Events

On 18 March 2026 from 09:00-13:00 CET, CORAF in collaboration with ECDPM is co-organising an online workshop with West African national agricultural research institutes aimed at strengthening the integration of scientific evidence into policy processes and bridging the gap between research and policy decision-making.This is a closed-door and invite-only event. Background The next few years will provide key opportunities to advance regional agricultural integration in West Africa, given the domestication of the CAADP’s Kampala Declaration, the implementation of the AfCFTA, and the new ten-year cycle of ECOWAP, among others. Regional agricultural integration is fundamental for West Africa to develop more resilient, sovereign, and productive agricultural systems and to attract the necessary finance for such development, both at the regional level (such as for regional corridors) and at the national level. Despite this potential, bridging the gap between scientific evidence and actionable policy remains an intricate challenge. While technical data is often abundant, it frequently fails to influence decision- making because scientists and decision-makers lack a common baseline. This disconnect is further exacerbated by "knowledge asymmetry," in which both groups use different vocabularies, follow conflicting timelines, and prioritise divergent priorities. Furthermore, traditional policy development commonly encounters "analytical blind spots," focusing strictly on technical […]

The Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN), in collaboration with partners, will host a Virtual Knowledge Forum on Sustainable Food Systems from 20–22 May 2026. The forum is part of the Strengthening Evidence-Based Policy Practice for Sustainable Food Systems (StEPPFoS) project, which aims to bridge the gap between research evidence and policy implementation in Africa’s agri-food systems. The online forum, themed “Linking Evidence, Policy, and Action,” will bring together policymakers, researchers, development partners, private sector actors, and civil society organizations to discuss practical solutions to Africa’s food and nutrition security challenges. Discussions will focus on strengthening evidence-based policymaking and fostering collaboration to support sustainable and inclusive food systems across the continent. Key thematic discussions will include nutrition and food safety, value addition, continental trade and market access, financing for agriculture, youth and gender inclusion, digital innovation, technology transfer, and climate adaptation for resilient food systems. The forum will also feature a Virtual Innovation Exhibition, where innovators, researchers, farmer organizations, and technology developers will showcase practical solutions such as digital agriculture tools, climate-smart technologies, and community-driven initiatives that strengthen food systems. These sessions will combine demonstrations, evidence of impact, and interactive discussions aimed at encouraging collaboration and scaling successful innovations. The initiative is implemented through a broad […]

Overview: The StEPPFoS Summer School is a five-day intensive programme held in Entebbe, Uganda, from the 25 to 29 of May 2026. The school aims to equip participants with advanced economic modelling skills to describe, investigate and interpret the future challenges for Africa’s agricultural sector and food security, with particular focus on climate change. The curriculum balances theoretical lectures on economic shocks within the FNSSA sector with hands-on practical sessions using a Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model and a farm-level microeconomic model. The programme includes parallel sessions for each model type, tailored to participants’ backgrounds and preferred modelling approaches. The StEPPFoS Summer School is organised in the frame of the Pan-African Network for Economic Analysis of Policies (PANAP), co-hosted by the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission and the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), combining academic expertise and policy-oriented research to deliver a rigorous, applied training experience. Who can Apply The summer school is targeted for PhD students and early-career researchers from Africa. Applications will be evaluated based on the following criteria. These are preferential, not exclusive — candidates who do not fully meet all criteria are still encouraged to apply, as motivation and research interests […]