Africa Food Show Kenya 2026 Unites Agrifood Stakeholders to Drive Healthier, More Resilient Food Systems

The Africa Food Show Kenya 2026 gets underway at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi.

By:Gladys Karuga

Experts have called for stronger and more sustainable financing mechanisms to support smallholder farmers and accelerate the transformation of Africa’s agri-food systems amid climate change, food losses and limited access to affordable credit.

The call was made as the fourth edition of the Africa Food Show Kenya 2026 continues at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi under the theme, “Transforming Agrifood Systems for Healthy Diets: From Seed to Plate.” The three-day event is running from August 20 to 22, bringing together producers, processors, traders, investors, policymakers, researchers, innovators, development partners and private-sector players from across Africa and beyond.

The Africa Food Show is positioning itself as a pan-African business-to-business platform focused on innovation, investment, trade and partnerships across the entire food value chain, from production and processing to packaging, logistics and markets. Organisers say this year's event features more than 200 exhibitors, over 300 products, participants from 12 countries, more than 1,000 business-to-business meetings and an estimated 5,000 visitors.

Speaking at the event, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Regional Programme Manager for East and Southern Africa Moses Abukari said financing food systems required a coordinated approach involving governments, development partners and the private sector.

Abukari said IFAD was working with governments and partners to ensure farmers gained access to quality seeds, improved animal breeds, technology, advisory services and markets.

“I call myself a farmer, but behind a computer,” he said, explaining that his work involved supporting systems that enable farmers to access the resources they need to improve production.

He said sustainable financing of food systems must be guided by reliable data and tools that can help governments and development partners determine where investments are most needed.

According to Abukari, IFAD, together with the World Bank and the United Nations Food Systems Coordination, has developed a tool for tracking financial flows into food systems, with Kenya among the countries where it has been piloted.

He said the assessment showed that Kenya's national government spent about 6.6 billion dollars over a four-year period from 2018/19 to 2021/22 on food systems, translating to an average of about 1.65 billion dollars annually.

Abukari, however, noted that financing had declined after peaking during the COVID-19 period, warning that reduced investment could undermine efforts to strengthen food security at a time when the country is facing climate-related shocks.

He said domestic financing remained critical, with government accounting for about 75 per cent of the funding analysed, while international development finance contributed about a quarter.

“Domestic financing plays a key role,” Abukari said, adding that governments needed to make strategic investment decisions that would strengthen food systems while avoiding unsustainable debt.

He also identified food loss and waste as a major threat to food security and an area requiring greater investment.

The IFAD official said Kenya loses an estimated 99 kilogrammes of food per person annually, with the economic value of the waste estimated at about Sh20.6 billion.

He said reducing food losses should therefore form part of agricultural investment strategies alongside production, infrastructure, nutrition and climate resilience.

The financing challenge was further highlighted by Fava Herbs founder and Chief Executive Officer Francisca Ochieng, who said smallholder farmers continued to face major barriers in accessing formal financial services despite their critical contribution to Africa's food production.

Ochieng said many farmers possessed valuable knowledge and experience but lacked the assets and formal documentation required by financial institutions to secure loans.

She illustrated the challenge through the experience of a smallholder farmer seeking financing to purchase certified seed, lease machinery or construct a small storage facility, only to be denied credit because she lacks acceptable collateral.

According to Ochieng, the problem is not necessarily farmers' willingness or ability to repay, but a financial system that has not been adequately designed around the realities of smallholder agriculture.

She noted that there are about 33 million smallholder farms across sub-Saharan Africa, representing about 80 per cent of all farms in the region. Despite their contribution to food production, she said less than five per cent of commercial bank lending in most African countries is directed to agriculture.

Ochieng said the financing gap is further worsened by inadequate agricultural insurance, leaving farmers exposed to drought, floods, erratic rainfall and other climate-related risks.

“Not three per cent, 97 per cent of our farmers” have no agricultural insurance, Ochieng said, stressing the need to integrate risk protection with agricultural lending.

She called for crop insurance and credit to be bundled together so that lenders and farmers can share and manage climate-related risks more effectively.

“When we insure the crop, we dis-risk the loan,” she said, arguing that reducing risks would make farmers more attractive to lenders and unlock capital for agricultural investment.

The proposal comes as farmers across Africa continue to face difficulties accessing affordable agricultural credit, while climate-related shocks increase the risks faced by both farmers and financial institutions.

By linking insurance with agricultural credit, stakeholders argue that farmers would have greater confidence to invest in certified seed, fertiliser, machinery, irrigation, storage and other inputs, while lenders would have additional protection against climate-related losses.

Beyond financing, the Africa Food Show is showcasing the role of science, technology and innovation in improving agricultural productivity, food processing, food safety and market access.

The exhibition covers a broad range of sectors, including food processing and manufacturing, beverages, sustainable packaging and labelling, logistics, agricultural technologies and other solutions across the food and agriculture value chain.

Food safety and quality are also central to the event, with stakeholders examining standards, assurance systems and consumer confidence as important components of stronger and more resilient food systems.

The event is being held with support from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development and other partners, while the organisers have positioned the show as a platform for connecting policy, enterprise, science and investment.

The exhibition also provides opportunities for businesses to identify new markets, establish distribution partnerships, explore investment opportunities and engage with buyers and other players across the food value chain.

The broader focus is on strengthening the entire journey from farm to consumer, with stakeholders examining how better financing, insurance, technology, processing, food safety and market access can work together to build resilient food systems.

As climate change continues to expose farmers to droughts, floods and changing weather patterns, experts say improving access to finance and agricultural insurance will be critical to protecting livelihoods and maintaining food production.

The Africa Food Show Kenya 2026 therefore provides a platform for stakeholders to push for practical solutions to the challenges facing Africa's food systems, with sustainable financing, risk protection, innovation and market access emerging as key pillars in the drive to deliver safe, nutritious and affordable food from seed to plate.