By: Isatu Yollah Bangura, Intern.
The Director of Extension at the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MAFS), Mr. Alpha Yayah Mansaray, has represented Sierra Leone at the World AgriFood Innovation Conference (WAFI2026) in Pinggu, Beijing, China.
His participation was facilitated through the Agricultural Value Development Project (AVDP), funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
Held under the theme “Green and Healthy Transformation of Agrifood Systems,” the three-day conference brought together government representatives, industry experts, academics, researchers and practitioners to promote innovation in food security, climate resilience and sustainable development.
The conference featured an opening ceremony, parallel thematic sessions, high-level forums, side events, innovation showcases and exhibitions.
During the conference, Mr. Mansaray participated in high-level dialogues and thematic sessions focusing on extension transformation, climate-smart agriculture, digital advisory services, private sector-driven agrifood value chains, and South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC).
These areas are considered important to the implementation of Sierra Leone’s Feed Salone Programme.
Mr. Mansaray said the conference provided practical and scalable innovations that could be relevant to Sierra Leone’s agricultural sector.
“WAFI2026 provided practical and scalable innovations that are directly relevant to Sierra Leone’s context. Upon my return, I will share these lessons with all IFAD-supported programmes, including AVDP, to explore how they can be integrated into project implementation,” he said.
He further noted that transforming agrifood systems requires collaboration between government and other stakeholders.
“WAFI has shown that agrifood systems transformation cannot be achieved by government alone. The innovations showcased here, from digital extension and farmer field schools to agri-tech incubation and green value chains, confirm our Feed Salone approach of expanding existing agribusinesses, incubating new ones, and crowding in private capital,” he said.
Mr. Mansaray added that South-South and Triangular Cooperation could provide opportunities for Sierra Leone to learn from the experiences of other countries.
“SSTC is a means to an end for us, and China’s experience in smallholder mechanization and value addition offers lessons that we can adapt,” he said.
His participation in WAFI2026, facilitated by AVDP/IFAD, underscores the Government’s efforts to leverage international innovation platforms to support the implementation of Feed Salone and promote a resilient, inclusive and sustainable agrifood system in Sierra Leone.