KENAFF CEO delivers WFO’s intervention on innovation and technology transfer in Durban.

The World Farmers’ Organisation (WFO), represented by Dr Mwendah M’Mailutha, CEO of the Kenya National Farmers’ Federation (KENAFF), participated in the Second G20 Agriculture Working Group Meeting, held in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The session, focused on Fostering Innovation and Technology Transfer in Agriculture and Agro-Processing, brought together G20 members, observers, and invited organisations to explore policy solutions for inclusive, scalable innovation in agriculture.

The G20 Agriculture Working Group serves as a technical platform supporting the development of joint commitments to be adopted by Agriculture Ministers during their meeting in September 2025. The Durban session examined how targeted support, public-private partnerships, and context-sensitive technologies can enhance the resilience, sustainability, and equity of food systems.

Speaking on behalf of WFO, Dr M’Mailutha focused his intervention on the barriers, incentives, and enabling conditions needed to scale up meaningful innovation uptake — particularly for farmers in low- and middle-income countries. His contribution was grounded in the WFO Policy on Innovation (2022) and the forthcoming Policy on Digitalisation and Artificial Intelligence, to be adopted at the next General Assembly. These policies call for innovation ecosystems that are inclusive, farmer-driven, and tailored to diverse local contexts, offering actionable recommendations to safeguard farmers’ position in the value chain as equal partners.

The session also showcased practical examples — including the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) programme and the Pan-African Bean Research Alliance (PABRA) — reinforcing the importance of bundled solutions that combine technology with finance, knowledge, and policy. WFO’s intervention aligned with these themes while emphasising that farmers must be active participants in the co-development and uptake of innovation, not passive recipients.

The outcomes from this discussion will feed into a forward-looking declaration to be adopted by Ministers at the G20 Agriculture Ministers’ Meeting later this year. WFO will continue to engage throughout the process to ensure that global innovation agendas reflect the needs of farmers and contribute to building resilient and inclusive food systems worldwide.

Image courtesy of Dr Mwendah M’Mailutha (KENAFF). Copyright not verified.