The African Dialogue on the World in 2050 (TWI2050)

How can agriculture contribute to meeting the SDGs in the context of socio-ecological resilience and the conservation of agro-biodiversity in Africa?

28-29 August 2017
Kigali, Rwanda

The Sustainable Development Goals Center for Africa (SDGC/A) in collaboration with the Stockholm Resilience Centre (SRC) hosted the African Dialogue on the World in 2050 (TWI2050) from 28th to 29th August 2017. The multi-actor Dialogue explored pathways for how agriculture can contribute to meeting the SDGs in the context of social-ecological resilience and the conservation, and sustainable use, of agro-biodiversity in Africa.

The UN Agenda 2030 has been argued to be technically feasible, but there is still not yet any fact-based integrated pathways in which all SDGs are reached within the Planetary Boundaries. The World in 2050 (TWI2050) is a newly formed global research initiative designed with the aim to provide such pathways. For TWI2050 to be relevant in the Agenda 2030 processes, it needs to reflect a diversity of African perspectives.

In order to be effective in addressing these complex issues, following theme was selected for the African Dialogue: How can agriculture contribute to meeting the SDGs in the context of socio-ecological resilience and the conservation of agro-biodiversity in Africa?

The choice of this cross-cutting theme and its importance in achieving the SDGs within planetary boundaries is based on the following considerations:

role and importance of agriculture (including food systems) and biodiversity for attaining the SDGs in Africa within the planetary boundaries, and continuously following a sustainable trajectory up till 2050 (as aligned in the TWI2050 Narrative)
role and importance of agriculture within the water-energy-food nexus as well in overall poverty alleviation

Co-chaired by Dr. Belay Begashaw, Director of the SDG Center for Africa, and Prof. Johan Rockström, Director of Stockholm Resilience Centre; the dialogue brought together a wide variety of participants including policy makers, academicians, business leaders and civil society, invited from diverse organizations across Africa. The participants shared expertise and experiences from a wide variety of perspectives. The workshop was divided into three main sessions focusing on different SDGs from the perspective of agriculture and the biospheres boundaries for sustainable resource use, not neglecting the importance of institutions, governance and universal values.

The Stockholm Resilience Centre

The Stockholm Resilience Centre is an international centre that advances transdisciplinary research for governance of social-ecological systems with a special emphasis on resilience. SwedBio, that is financing the African Dialogue, is a knowledge interface at Stockholm Resilience Centre contributing to poverty alleviation, equity, sustainable livelihoods and social-ecological systems rich in biodiversity that persist, adapt and transform under global change such as climate change. SwedBio enables knowledge generation, dialogue and exchange between practitioners, policy makers and scientists for development and implementation of policies and methods at multiple scales.