This dialogue will bring together food systems experts and leaders of higher education institutions as they explore, debate, and then shape pathways to sustainable food systems that will inform African universities` contributions to the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit. This dialogue will be hosted under the auspices of the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Food Systems (ARUA-SFS) led by the University of Pretoria, in collaboration with the University of Ghana, Legon, and the University of Nairobi, Kenya.

As part of the introduction to the regional dialogues, University of Pretoria Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Prof Tawana Kupe will provide introductory remarks outlining the vision of a sustainable food system in Africa. This will be followed by the African universities` nominated special envoy to the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit, Dr. Akin Adesina, President of the African Development Bank.  Dr. David Nabarro, the special envoy on COVID-19 for the World Health Organisation and former curator of the Food Systems Dialogues will conclude the introductory remarks by outlining the roadmap to the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit. Prof Barend Erasmus and Prof Lindiwe Majele Sibanda will be the curators of the dialogues with the responsibility of creating a setting where stakeholders collectively explore issues in-depth together. The curators will be supported by regional facilitators who are food systems experts representing 4 African geographical regions (East, North, Southern, and West Africa).  The regional facilitators will ensure that each of the participating Vice-Chancellors together with selected African food systems academics and policy experts in the discussion groups have an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the topics under consideration. At the end of the dialogues, a representative Vice-Chancellor from each regional group discussion will be selected to report on the outcomes of the discussion at the high-level colloquium.

This high-level colloquium with 15-20 participants intends to build on the regional food systems dialogues in session 3 as part of a process to synthesize the key messages from African universities to be delivered at the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit by the nominated special envoy. Representatives of the scientific committee of the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit will join selected food systems academics, policy experts, and the participants from the regional food systems dialogue the previous day. The colloquium will start with a vision-setting interface between 3 ARUA Vice-Chancellors on their perspectives on the future of food systems in Africa. This will be followed by presentations by rapporteurs from the regional dialogues in session 3 and then discussion to craft the message and roadmap to the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit.