Food and nutrition security remains one of the major global challenges, especially in the developing countries. In Africa (the most food insecure region on the world), approximately 232 million or one in four people are undernourished. According to the United Nations, the world population is predicted to reach 9 billion by the year 2050. In the same period, Africa’s population is projected to double from the current 1.2 billion to 2.5 billion. To meet the food and nutrition needs of this rising population, food production (under the current trends) will have to increase by 70%. This is a tall order given the limited and inelastic production resources.

The United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), African Union’s Agenda 2063, Kenya’s Vision 2030 and ‘Big Four Agenda’ all recognize the critical role of Agriculture in contributing to food and nutrition security, poverty reduction and overall economic growth. However African agriculture is largely subsistence and requires transformation into a modern and dynamic sector. The challenges facing the agriculture sector and Agri-food systems therein include limited investment, low uptake of technologies, lack of awareness on current knowledge and trends due to poor extension services, poor infrastructure and lack of access to markets. These challenges must be addressed for the sector to meaningfully contribute to the goals enshrined in global, continental and national strategies. Hosted by The College of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences,under the theme "Catalyzing Sustainable Food and Nutrition Security through Research, Technology and Innovation." Dates: October 22-24, 2019