Evidence-informed Policy Making in African Agri-food Systems

This presentation was delivered as part of a training on Evidence-informed Policy Making in African Agri-food Systems conducted under the UPLIFT Agriculture (UPLIFT.Ag) project. The training aimed to strengthen the capacity of researchers and academic leaders to generate, package, communicate, and apply evidence for policymaking in African agri-food systems. The session was attended by 115 researchers and academic staff drawn from universities and research institutions across Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, and Zimbabwe. The presentation explored the role of evidence in policymaking, major policy challenges facing African agri-food systems, pathways for strengthening research-policy linkages, lessons from a Kenyan case study on policy influence, and practical strategies for enhancing the uptake of research in policy processes. Key themes included agricultural productivity, food security and nutrition, climate resilience, governance, trade and regional integration, inclusion, financing, innovation, data systems, and political economy. The training contributed to building the competencies of researchers and higher education institutions to engage more effectively with policymakers and support evidence-informed agricultural and food systems transformation in Africa.