African Food Fellowship opens applications for cohort 5, introduces new impact area
Jacqueline Kubania
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The African Food Fellowship is delighted to announce that applications are now open for its fifth cohort. The Fellowship is recruiting 80 new Fellows in Rwanda and Kenya, 40 for each country. These are food systems leaders who are passionate about working together to create healthy, inclusive, and sustainable food systems.
Interested candidates can submit their applications before the deadline closes on April 25, 2025.
The Fellowship has also updated its impact areas for this round of applications to better reflect a shift in continental priorities. In Rwanda, we are now targeting applicants working in the impact areas of Healthy and Nutritious Foods, Climate Smart Agriculture, or Inclusive Markets and Trade, while in Kenya, we shall be accepting applications from people working in Horticulture for Inclusive Markets, Blue Economy for Food or Agri-finance.
The impact areas are informed by the new Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Strategy and Action Plan 2026-2035 endorsed in January 2025 by 55 African Union member states. The agreement introduced ambitious new targets, including Increasing agricultural productivity by 50%, reducing undernourishment to less than 5%, reducing negative environmental impacts of agriculture by 40%, and increasing the value of processed food exports by 30%. It also aims to integrate over 10 million small-scale farmers into agricultural value chains. These changes show a more holistic approach in how food is produced, processed, and distributed.
“The new Kampala Declaration signed in January this year has inspired us to revise our impact areas to better align with the targets outlined in the agreement. We now have a sharper focus on trade in both countries, as well as a more deliberate inclusion of climate smart agriculture in Rwanda, and an expansion of aquaculture to encompass the blue economy in Kenya. Targeting leaders working in these areas means that we’re able to better support Africa’s food systems transformation agenda,” said African Food Fellowship Director Joost Guijt.
Currently active in Rwanda and Kenya but with ambitions to expand to all Economic Zones in Africa by 2030, the African Food Fellowship is a dynamic network of leaders working together on bold change to make food systems healthy, sustainable, and inclusive. It is dedicated to building the leadership capacity of food systems actors in Africa so they can better respond to challenges and craft sustainable solutions.
“A lot of investments have been made to end hunger, tackle malnutrition, raise productivity, and generally improve food systems in Africa. However, few have focused on building the capacity of the people tasked with delivering these ambitious targets. Africa needs good leaders to deliver healthy, inclusive, and sustainable food systems the African Food Fellowship is investing in these leaders,” said African Food Fellowship Rwanda Lead Anysie Ishimwe.
The Fellowship has built a thriving ecosystem for food systems actors in Africa to connect with their peers and gain essential leadership skills and knowledge to transform food systems. Fellows are co-creators and co-owners of this ecosystem.
Successful applicants will join an impact network of over 230 Fellows in both countries. They will start their journey with the prestigious Food Systems Leadership Programme (FSLP), a world-class 10-month programme delivered virtually by faculty from Wageningen University & Research and Wasafiri Consulting. During the programme, Fellows acquire shared language, knowledge and tools to unpack food systems, analyze their complexity, and identify opportunities for systemic interventions.
The Fellowship also supports Fellows as they design, implement, and adapt their food systems actions. Fellows identify common goals and work on new pathways that are healthy, inclusive, and sustainable. They exchange ideas, mentor each other, and work together to achieve shared goals.
Current Fellows include government officials, community leaders, entrepreneurs, farmers, scientists, development workers, financiers, educators and journalists. They contribute different perspectives, practical skills and networks to the Fellowship. Collectively, they can shift the power, policies, investments, and incentives that shape food systems.
“We especially encourage women, farmers, and people living in marginalised areas to apply because they are often left out of leadership opportunities. The Fellowship is a diverse and inclusive space whose members enrich it with different perspectives, experiences and networks. It reflects the wide spectrum of skills, specialisations, and identities in which food systems in Africa operate,” said African Food Fellowship Kenya Lead Brenda Mareri.
The Fellowship charges a fee of USD 1,000 for the Food Systems Leadership Programme, payable in two instalments. A limited number of scholarships are available for those who can demonstrate they need it. We encourage and support participants to seek organisational scholarships.
Originally posted on the African Food Fellowship website.
