The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) will convene the 34th Session of the FAO Regional Conference for Africa (ARC34) in Nouakchott, Mauritania, in April 2026. The event will be hosted by the Islamic Republic of Mauritania and is expected to bring together ministers and senior officials from across Africa with portfolios in agriculture, fisheries, livestock, trade, finance, environment, and science and technology. In addition, representatives from the private sector, civil society, youth organizations, development partners, and observers will participate.
Over five days, from 13 to 17 April, ARC34 will serve as a strategic forum for exchanging experiences, forging partnerships, and identifying practical solutions to accelerate the transformation of agrifood systems in Africa. Mauritania has emphasized its commitment to hosting the conference and facilitating dialogue and cooperation on food security and sustainable agrifood development across the continent. FAO officials welcomed Mauritania’s readiness and highlighted the importance of collaborative preparations to ensure the conference delivers concrete outcomes for the region.
The FAO Regional Conference for Africa, held every two years, is the organization’s highest governing body in the region. ARC34 comes at a critical time, as hunger across Africa continues to rise. According to the 2025 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report, over 20 percent of Africa’s population—approximately 307 million people—experience hunger. Projections indicate that by 2030, nearly 60 percent of the world’s chronically undernourished population could be in Africa, highlighting the urgent need for transformative action.
In response to these challenges, African countries and partners are advancing strategies to build resilient and sustainable agrifood systems. Key measures include promoting climate-smart agriculture to increase productivity while conserving natural resources, expanding digital technologies to improve farmers’ access to information and markets, strengthening inclusive value chains and rural infrastructure, and implementing nutrition-sensitive policies that make healthy diets more accessible and affordable. These approaches align with the FAO Strategic Framework 2022–2031, which emphasizes efficiency, inclusivity, resilience, and sustainability through innovation, partnerships, and targeted investments.
