Population growth in urban cities will explode by 2.5 billion people by 2050, and therefore requires increased agricultural production of upto 60 % to meet growing demands. This was revealed during the Global Food Security Symposium held in Washington DC on 26th April 2016, where Farm Concern International, FCI was represented by its Board Chair Prof. Meme Kinoti (pictured). The symposium, which is a convening of the Chicago Council’s Global Agricultural Development Initiative provides a platform for discussion about the US government and international community progress on addressing the problem of food insecurity. The Symposium on Global Agriculture and Food Security provides a platform for discussion about the US government and international community’s progress on addressing the problem of food insecurity

Among the key recommendations passed  in a report released at the symposium, was the need to enable and leverage private sector investment that includes small-scale farmers and rural SMEs in the food system. While at the symposium, Prof. Kinoti was able to present the unique niche that FCI offers while transiting smallholder farmers from subsistence to commercialised systems by working closely with private sector partners in Africa. He was also able to network with key individuals and organisations in the global arena that FCI will pursue so as to form strategic partnerships to drive african agriculture, bearing in mind that Strategic partnerships are the hallmark of sustainable organisational development. Therefore, Farm Concern International (FCI) endeavours to forge partnerships with like – minded partners with an interest in the agricultural sector. 

Lessons learnt from the symposium present a unique opportunity for smallholder subsistence farmers in developing countries to alleviate the situation by providing them food and in turn, address the challenge of poverty and joblessness amongst the youth in these low income countries, which is the main aim FCI hopes to achieve through smallholder commercialization.