A farmer explains cowpea fodder to delegates on a field visit in Zimbabwe

A young scientist at work in a laboratory

Mr Sydney Simelane, Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture of Eswatini, speaks at the FANRPAN side event at the African Union Seed Investment Summit

Delegates at the 2025 FANRPAN Regional Policy Dialogue in Johannesburg

Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network

Evidence.Dialogue.Better policy.

FANRPAN is a continental policy network that brings research, governments and the people they serve to one table, to shape Africa’s food, agriculture and natural resource policy.

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See our work in actionA short film about FANRPAN

Call for consultants: National Maize Post-Harvest Management Study, Uganda

Who we are

Since 1994, FANRPAN has brought governments, farmers, researchers and partners to one table, so that the policies shaping Africa’s agrifood systems are built on evidence and inclusive dialogue.

48projects delivered or under way since 2008

23regional policy dialogues convened since 2001

30funding partners behind our projects

2035horizon of our fourth-generation strategy

What we do

Four ways we move evidence into policy

Policy research and analysis

Independent evidence on the questions policymakers face, from national investment plans to continental frameworks.

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Dialogue and advocacy

Turning research into dialogues, briefs and messages that reach the people who shape and fund policy.

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Capacity strengthening

Supporting governments, regional bodies, farmer organisations and researchers to use evidence well.

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Accountability and learning

Tracking whether policies are implemented and working, and feeding the lessons back into policy.

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Working across scale

From farms and ministries to the continental stage

Since 2008, FANRPAN has generated evidence, convened dialogue and strengthened capacity at every level where agrifood policy is made and felt. Choose a level to see how we work there.

With the African Union

We work with the African Union Commission and AUDA-NEPAD on continental frameworks, from CAADP and the Kampala Declaration to the African Seed and Biotechnology Programme, and carry African evidence to global forums such as the G20 meeting of agricultural chief scientists.

AU Agriculture Policy Dialogue →MACS-G20 →

With regional economic communities

With regional economic communities such as SADC and COMESA, we support regional strategies and harmonised policies, from seed regulation to indigenous foods and climate change.

SADC Indigenous Foods →SADC seed harmonisation →COMESA climate programme →

With governments and national nodes

In member states we work with ministries, national working groups and our national policy nodes, so that regional and continental commitments become national policy and practice.

Eswatini’s National Seed Committee →Our experience →

With farmers and communities

We start where policy is felt: with farmer organisations, rural women and youth, extension services and community animal health workers, so that their evidence and experience reach the policy table.

Community animal health workers →Circular Food Systems →

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African Union member states

Our flagship · since 2001Twenty-five years of bringing Africa’s food policy to one tableWatch the highlights from the 2025 Annual Regional Multi-stakeholder Policy Dialogue in Johannesburg.

23 regional dialogues in 13 host countries, with every programme, resolution and report on the record.

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Events

Where the conversations happen

FANRPAN events Partner events

Participants follow the FANRPAN side event at the African Union Seed Investment Summit in Ezulwini

Held on 6 October 2026 · AU Inaugural Seed Investment Summit

Eswatini shows what it takes for seed commitments to reach farmers

FANRPAN convened this side event with Eswatini’s Ministry of Agriculture and the Coordinating Assembly of Non-Governmental Organisations. The Principal Secretary for Agriculture, Mr Sydney Simelane, chaired it. Speakers from government, the region, farmers and partners looked at how seed commitments become rules that farmers can rely on.

Next, Eswatini’s National Seed Committee will begin a national study of the seed system, with support from the Coordinating Assembly and FANRPAN.

Tuesday 6 October 2026Palazzo Convention Centre, Ezulwini

Our seed systems work →