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The Director of Extension at the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MAFS), Mr Alpha Yayah Mansaray, represents Sierra Leone at the World AgriFood Innovation Conference (WAFI2026) in Pinggu, Beijing, China.
His participation was facilitated through the Agricultural Value Development Project (AVDP), funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
The conference, held under the theme “Green and Healthy Transformation of Agrifood Systems,” is a premier global platform that brings together governments, industry, academia, research institutions, and practitioners to advance integrated innovation for food security, climate resilience, and sustainable development.
“WAFI2026 provided practical and scalable innovations that are directly relevant to Sierra Leone’s context. Upon my return, I will share these lessons with all IFAD-supported programmes, including AVDP, to explore how they can be integrated into project implementation,” he said.
He further noted: “WAFI has shown that agrifood systems transformation cannot be achieved by government alone. The innovations showcased here, from digital extension and farmer field schools to agri-tech incubation and green value chains, confirm our Feed Salone approach of expanding existing agribusinesses, incubating new ones, and crowding in private capital. SSTC is a means to an end for us, and China’s experience in smallholder mechanisation and value addition offers lessons that we can adapt.”
Finally, the participation was facilitated by AVDP/IFAD and reinforces the Government’s commitment to leveraging global innovation platforms to accelerate the implementation of Feed Salone and build a resilient, inclusive, and sustainable agrifood system.
