The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) will host the 34th Session of the FAO Regional Conference for Africa (ARC34) in Nouakchott, Mauritania, from 13 to 17 April 2026. The conference will bring together African ministers of agriculture, government officials, civil society representatives, youth groups, private sector actors, and development partners to discuss the future of Africa’s agrifood systems. The focus will be on sustaining transformation through innovation, strengthened partnerships, and increased investment to meet the needs of a growing population, address climate change impacts, and ensure food security and nutrition.
ARC34 serves as the highest regional FAO governance body, providing a platform to discuss regional matters aligned with FAO’s mandate, inform FAO plans, and formulate common positions on global issues. The conference comes at a critical time, as Africa’s agrifood systems face pressures from climate variability, land and water constraints, economic shocks, and persistent food insecurity, emphasizing the need for coordinated action and long-term investment.
Over five days, delegates will engage in ministerial roundtables and discussions on key issues, including the drivers of agrifood systems transformation, sustainable land, soil and water management, resilience to multiple risks, financing, transboundary pests and diseases, Blue Transformation and aquatic foods, and leveraging biodiversity and the bioeconomy for sustainable agrifood systems. A High-level Special Event, the World Food Forum – Africa, on 15 April will highlight youth engagement, innovation, and investment in agrifood systems.
The conference will conclude with a Ministerial Declaration outlining regional priorities and recommendations to guide the FAO Council and inform FAO’s Strategic Framework 2022–2031, focused on better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind.
Ahead of the conference, a press briefing will be held on 9 April at the Sheraton Hotel in Nouakchott, featuring H.E. Mohamedou Ahmadou Mhaïmid, Mauritania’s Minister of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty, and Jean Senahoun, FAO Representative in Mauritania. Journalists in Mauritania are invited to attend the briefing and ARC34, while those outside the country can follow the live webcast via the FAO platform.
