AFSF 2025: Kelvin Odoobo on how the Forum can catalyse meaningful youth leadership

• How are you currently contributing to healthy, inclusive and sustainable food systems?

At Shambapro, we empower small farm business owners in Africa to maintain accurate farm records and make data-driven business decisions to manage resources more efficiently, increase yields & improve farm incomes. We enable farm owners to access more suitable agriculture financing and other agribusiness services.

Our platform provides our users direct access to quality, affordable farm inputs and services and better markets as well as practical climate – smart agriculture tips in video form. At a personal level, I use the food system leadership platform to mentor young African agripreneurs in entrepreneurship, food system thinking, practical ecology and sustainable agriculture in general.

• Why is this year’s AFSF important to your work?

The theme of this year’s AFSF speaks directly to youth and leadership, which are both aspects that are very close to my heart. Today, the average African is aged 19 years, compared to the global average of 30 years. By 2050, all facets of the Africa’s agri-food system will be in the hands of the youth, either by choice or by default.

These millions of self-driven, tech-savvy African youths are our Africa’s biggest resource and it’s our solemn duty to help them exploit available opportunities in the agri-food system. At Shambapro, our mission is to empower young people with digital tools to drive the transformation of Africa’s food system while creating jobs and trans-generation wealth.

• How are you looking forward to contributing my skills and expertise at the AFSF?

I will use the summit to actively seek out and explore synergies and partnerships with like-minded individuals and organizations from across the world. I look forward to using my leadership skills to catalyze existing or new food system actions, as a convenor, collaborator, participant or supporter. I will also use every opportunity to re-emphasize the importance of investment into food system leadership as a critical catalyst in shaping resilient food systems with my own journey as a practical example.

• What are the most important outcomes you are hoping will be delivered by the AFSF?

The most important outcome of the AFSF 2025 will be a strong appreciation that African youth are ready to lead today. Young people must take full charge of the different facets of the agri-food system for their own individual benefit, that of their families and their communities and that of their nations and continent. Opportunities in the agri-food system are limitless but they will not come to those who do not make any effort but only to those are ready to grab them and put in the required work.

• Who are you most looking forward to meeting or hearing from at the AFSF? And why?

I would love to hear real, practicable and actionable efforts by pinnacle level organizations like AGRA, Africa Union, CGIAR, FAO etc. in partnerships with national governments to support the role of Africa’s youth in the agri-food sector. These include more suitable agriculture financing, removal of non-tariff trade barriers, easier movement of people, goods and services, other incentives that will spur innovation, expand available markets and encourage more intra-African trade.

I look forward to meeting organizations that would like to use the Shambapro Platform to advertise quality, affordable farm inputs and services and to disseminate climate-smart agriculture advice to smallholder farmers.

• What does food systems leadership mean to you?

Food system leadership means using your knowledge, skills, experience and networks to provide a dedicated, self-less service to mankind by building partnerships aimed at catalyzing the transformation of Africa’s food system. It means the ability and willingness to create and sustain meaningful, long-lasting connections and synergies across industries and nations for inclusive, sustainable impact.

Food system leadership also means proactively working to decolonize existing mindsets that continue to limit business opportunities in the agri-food system to national boundaries.