African Food Fellowship opens applications for 120 new Fellows across Kenya, Rwanda, and Zambia 

The African Food Fellowship has launched recruitment for its sixth cohort, seeking 120 new food systems leaders across Kenya, Rwanda, and for the first time, Zambia. Applications opened on 18 March 2026 and will close on 3rd May, 2026, with each country set to welcome 40 new Fellows into the growing network. 

We accept applications from mid-career food systems leaders aged 27-50 years old who are working in any of the impact areas below. 

Kenya: Horticulture for Inclusive Markets; Blue Economy for Food; Agri-finance. 

Rwanda: Access to Healthy and Nutritious Food; Climate Smart Agriculture; Inclusive Markets and Trade. 

Zambia: Inclusive Markets and Trade; Access to Nutritious and Healthy Food; Resilient Food Systems. 

For this recruitment, the Fellowship has teamed up with the Power for Food Partnership, coordinated by SNV and supported by the IKEA Foundation, to seek food system leaders who are championing the use of renewable energy in agriculture. This collaboration aims to build and invest in the leaders needed for the transition to regenerative, climate‑smart, and energy‑efficient food systems across East Africa. 20 Fellows will be selected under this partnership and will join existing impact areas: Horticulture for Inclusive Markets in Kenya and Climate Smart Agriculture in Rwanda.

The Fellowship actively recruits from a broad spectrum of food systems stakeholders, including government officials, community leaders, artists, entrepreneurs, farmers, influencers, scientists, development workers, financiers, educators, consumer groups, and journalists. 

“This richness and complexity of experiences, perspectives and approaches mirror the real world in which food systems exist. We need bold leaders working across this diverse spectrum to deliver healthy, inclusive and sustainable food systems,” said African Food Fellowship Executive Director Pascal Murasira. 

Collectively, Fellows can influence the power structures, policies, investments, and incentives that shape food systems. 

The recruitment drive comes as Africa pursues the ambitious targets outlined in the CAADP Kampala Declaration, which sets 22 bold goals to end hunger, increase trade, raise productivity, and improve food systems across the continent within the next decade. The Fellowship, alongside other leadership initiatives in Africa, is skilling the critical mass of leaders needed to deliver these targets. 

The Fellowship currently boasts over 280 members across Kenya and Rwanda, creating a thriving ecosystem where food systems actors can connect with peers and gain essential leadership skills and knowledge. It offers comprehensive leadership support built on three core principles: connecting, learning, and acting. 

Connecting focuses on building trust and common purpose beyond individual gain, providing spaces for diverse Fellows to create lasting relationships across food systems.  

Learning involves participating in a specialized food systems leadership programme designed to shift mindsets and create shared knowledge and language around food systems transformation. The programme, delivered by experts from Wageningen University and Research and Wasafiri Consulting,  emphasizes knowledge creation through interaction, reflection, and practical application. 

Acting supports Fellows as they design, implement, and adapt their food systems initiatives. The Fellowship facilitates access to industry experts and decision-makers while providing platforms for Fellows to share their work with broader audiences. 

The Fellowship’s expansion into Zambia represents a significant milestone in the Fellowship’s continental growth strategy, bringing its unique leadership development model to Southern Africa for the first time. 

About the African Food Fellowship 

The African Food Fellowship is a network of leaders in Africa working on radical change to transform food systems across the continent. We support food systems actors with world-class training, platforms, and networks, to spark collaborative action for healthy, inclusive, and sustainable food systems. The Fellowship is initiated by Wageningen University and Research and Wasafiri Consulting with support from the IKEA Foundation, Small Foundation, and GIZ on behalf of the German Government.