African Small Island Developing States (SIDS) have taken a significant step toward transforming their agrifood systems and attracting new investments following a three-day solutions and investment forum held in São Tomé and Príncipe. The event brought together ministers, parliamentarians, investors, development partners, and representatives from the African SIDS Interregional Technical Network (ITN) to move beyond dialogue and establish concrete pathways for resilient agrifood and blue economy transformation. The forum, convened by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) with African SIDS governments, highlighted the repositioning of island economies from vulnerable states to emerging hubs of innovation, resilience, and opportunity.
At the center of the forum was the launch of Phase II of the Hand-in-Hand Initiative, expanding cooperation between Atlantic African SIDS—Cabo Verde, Guinea-Bissau, and São Tomé and Príncipe—and Indian Ocean African SIDS—Comoros, Mauritius, and Seychelles. The initiative, built around four strategic pillars—agrifood value chains, blue transformation, science and innovation, and regional market integration—aims to consolidate scalable solutions and investment opportunities across island economies. Participants emphasized that African island states are “big ocean states,” managing vast marine resources that present significant potential for sustainable growth.
The three-day event showcased a pipeline of bankable agrifood and blue economy projects, including climate-resilient agriculture, sustainable fisheries, and digital tools for market access and data management. Investment and partnership clinics allowed government teams to refine project concepts, strengthen technical designs, and prepare for financing. The outcomes will feed into a regional investment portfolio to be presented at the World Food Forum 2026 in Rome, enabling development partners and private investors to support transformative initiatives.
Delegates highlighted the need to address structural barriers that constrain trade and investment in island economies. Many African SIDS face challenges where importing is easier than exporting, which weakens domestic value chains and limits value addition. To unlock investment potential, participants called for reforms to streamline regulations, implement paperless trade systems, and strengthen product traceability and quality standards, enabling island products to compete in regional and global markets.
Regional cooperation was emphasized as a key enabler for overcoming small domestic markets and limited negotiating power. By working collectively, African SIDS can build stronger investment propositions, develop regional value chains, and attract larger investors. To facilitate this, the forum endorsed the creation of the African SIDS Agrifood Systems Transformation Network (ASATNet), a ministerial and parliamentary platform for policy alignment, knowledge exchange, and financing mobilization. Seychelles will chair the network for the first two years, and the next forum is scheduled for November 2027.
Momentum from São Tomé will extend to continental and international platforms, including the 34th FAO Regional Conference for Africa in Mauritania in April 2026, where the SIDS investment agenda will be presented to African policymakers. Follow-up initiatives include collaboration through the FAO–China South-South Cooperation programme and thematic working groups under ASATNet to advance policy reforms and technical support. The forum signaled a shift from identifying challenges to mobilizing investment, scaling solutions, and implementing a collective strategy to transform African SIDS agrifood systems. Participants stressed that the solutions are ready for scaling, and political will is evident, marking a decisive moment for action and investment in island economies.
