Alumni meeting

Seminar SKOV and Ipso-Facto - Pathways to Africa Food Security: Challenges, Threats & Opportunities towards 2050

SKOV organises seminars in cooperation with Ipso-Facto on global development cooperation issues. Speakers at the meetings are often esteemed and expert Wageningen alumni. This time Alumnus dr. Michiel de Haas and Prof. dr. Ken E. Giller are cooperating.

Organised by SKOV
Date

Thu 27 November 2025

Venue WUR Campus, building Leeuwenborgh, room C0064

Invitation

On Thursday 27 November, at 16.00 pm, SKOV, in cooperation with study association Ipso-Facto, will organise a seminar about 'Pathways to Africa Food
Security - Challenges, Threats & Opportunities towards 2050'.

Under this title, a book was published earlier this year. This book examines Africa’s current food system and future challenges for food security over the next 25 years. In 2050, the African continent will be home to a quarter of the world’s population.

The analysis presented in this book clearly shows that the African food system needs to transform at a much faster pace to ensure that the people it serves are food secure. This book contains case studies that focus on country-specific challenges in Egypt, Ethiopia, Senegal and Zimbabwe. It has three sections on challenges, threats, and opportunities. Individual chapters address a wide range of topics including climate change, water security, farm sizes, crop yields, conservation trade-offs, food prices, trade, conflict and structural change. The book concludes by discussing key pathways to improve Africa's food system and food security for the decades ahead.

The editors, Michiel de Haas and Ken Giller, are willing to present the main findings during this seminar. This will be followed by a reflection and discussion.

Participation is free of charge.

Speakers

Alumnus dr. Michiel de Haas

Michiel de Haas (2017) is Assistant Professor of Economic and Environmental History at Wageningen University and Research, the Netherlands.

Prof. dr. Ken E. Giller

Ken Giller is Emeritus Professor of Plant Production Systems at Wageningen University and Research, the Netherlands.

Programme

16.00 - 16.20: welcome with coffee, tea

16.20 – 16.25: opening by Cor de Jong, chair of SKOV

16.25 – 16.50: keynote by Michiel de Haas

16.50 – 17.15: keynote by Ken Giller

17.15 – 18.00: questions and debate, facilitated by Ellen Mangnus

18.00 – 18.30: drinks and informal exchange