Professor João Bosco Monte, President of the Brazil Africa Institute (IBRAF), was one of the speakers at the Global Food Security Summit (GFSS), held during Global Food Week 2026 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. On the occasion, he presented the experience and results of the Youth Technical Training Program (YTTP), developed by IBRAF.
Prof. João Bosco took part in the panel “Shaping the Next Generation of Inclusive Food Systems Leaders: Human Capital,” on October 6, alongside Dr. Haifa Al Kaylani OBE, President and Founder of the The Arab International Women’s Forum; Amath Ndiaye, Head Of Ambassador, Senegal Chairperson, UDA; Dr. Nabeel Ahmad Goheer, CEO of Gladia; and Dina Mongy, Director of Corporate Affairs & Sustainability, Nestlé Middle East and North Africa.
The session was based on a central premise: food security depends as much on investing in people as it does on investing in technology. In this context, Professor João Bosco presented YTTP, an IBRAF initiative that provides young Africans with an in-person training experience in Brazil, drawing on Brazilian expertise in areas such as agriculture and rural development, health, information technology, infrastructure, and the creative industry.
The program seeks to develop professional skills so that young people can contribute to the needs of their countries by applying knowledge, skills, and technologies in which Brazil has recognized expertise. The initiative thus seeks to contribute to economic and social development and strengthen food security across the African continent.
In his remarks, Professor João Bosco emphasized that investing in the training of young Africans means investing in the capacity of their own communities to build solutions and drive development. “YTTP transforms knowledge and experience into practical skills, enabling these young people to take what they have learned back to their countries and turn it into concrete and sustainable impact.”
Participation in the Africa Investment Forum
As part of his participation in Global Food Week, Professor João Bosco also attended the Africa Investment Forum on October 7, organized by the Africa Food Systems Forum and the UAE Food Cluster.
He took part in the panel “Africa’s Contribution to Global Food Security: Investment, Innovation and Scale,” which discussed strategies to mobilize investment, drive innovation, and scale solutions capable of strengthening Africa’s contribution to global food security.