Evidence to Action 2026: Building Trust and Evidence Across Africa's Food Systems
Mark Frederiks, Managing Director of Common Source, was delighted to participate in the Evidence to Action (E2A) 2026 Conference in Accra, Ghana — a landmark gathering of policymakers, researchers, practitioners, and innovators from across the African continent and beyond. He represented Common Source and EU4Advice throughout the programme, chairing and moderating the ‘Private Sector Lab’, which focused on evidence use in business decisions, impact investing, agriculture, climate, the digital economy, and MSME growth.
For Frederiks, it was a mind-blowing experience meeting people with such dignity and high moral standards, sending a message of hope and prosperity for all. His key takeaway from the conference: "Effective collaboration across continents is essential to deliver food security, public health, and ecosystem restoration while creating viable economic opportunities for farmers and agribusiness."
The main topics covered at the conference included:
Governance frameworks necessary to attract investment in sustainable agriculture
Leveraging technology for food health, traceability, digital cash and farmer empowerment
Implementing regenerative agriculture practices based on science and data at scale
Increasing youth and women engagement in farming through incentive structures
Exploring innovative funding mechanisms for local solutions, empowering communities
Creating value-based learning ecosystems through blockchain technology
Strengthening local economies and direct farmer-consumer connections; addressing climate change, water scarcity, and financial obstacles faced by farmers and communities
Frederiks considers it a privilege to be part of Africa's future development, helping reshape food systems based on values — implementing the Common Source strategy and digital infrastructure to secure trust and evidence through a network of Living Labs.
Common Source's next stops on the continent and beyond:
VIV Africa, 6–8 October, participating in the Leadership Conference in Kigali, Rwanda
MENA Regenerative Agriculture Initiative Summit, 24–26 October, Dubai, UAE
