HYBRID CONFERENCE

GLF Africa 2025: Innovate, Restore, Prosper

How can nature power Africa’s present and future?

Join online from anywhere in the world or in Nairobi, Kenya, and follow the event in English, French, Swahili, Spanish and other languages!

19 June 2025

Online
and Nairobi,
Kenya

#GLFAfrica

Learn more about the event in the Concept Note

Nearly two-thirds of Africa’s productive landscapes are already degraded.

Can we still restore these landscapes to the powerhouses they once were?

Africa’s landscapes are facing a triple crisis: land degradation, biodiversity loss and the climate crises. Nature is declining, land is struggling to support a growing population, policies are stalling, funding is diminishing, and land rights remain in limbo.

And yet, there is still time to turn things around. Africa deserves healthy, resilient and prosperous landscapes, communities and economies – and it can achieve all of them with the help of science, traditional knowledge, coherent policies, AI and big data.

Join our annual hybrid event to learn how Africa can build a restoration economy that works for nature and people. Discover new innovations in agroecology, nature finance and tree-based commodities, and get inspired by like-minded people from across the continent and beyond.

Explore the event themes

Forest and agri-landscape restoration

Rights and livelihoods

Nature markets and sustainable finance

AI, technology and data

Join us online or in Nairobi, Kenya

Join us online from the comfort of your home or in person at the CIFOR-ICRAF Nairobi office, located in the Gigiri area of the Kenyan capital.

MEET SOME OF THE PAST SPEAKERS

Jochen Flasbarth

Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Germany
Vanessa Nakate

Climate activist and Founder, Rise Up
Rise Up
Elizabeth Mrema

Executive Secretary, UN Convention on Biological Diversity
UN Environment Programme (UNEP)
Inger Andersen

Under-Secretary-General, UNEP
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
Rocky Dawuni

Musician
International Artist and Humanitarian
Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli

President & CEO
ONE Campaign
Ibrahim Thiaw

Executive Secretary
United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)
Youba Sokona

IPCC-Vice Chair and Special Advisor for Sustainable Development
IPCC and South Centre
Wanjira Mathai

Africa Managing Director and Global Partnerships
World Resources Institute (WRI)
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

Economist and former Minister of Finance
Nigeria
Mohamed Bakarr

Lead Environmental Specialist
Global Environment Facility
Joycelyn Longdon

Climate Activist & Founder
Climate In Colour
Inna Modja

Land Ambassador
UNCCD
Catherine Nakalembe

Associate Research Professor, Africa Program Director
University of Maryland, NASA Harvest
Carlos Lopes

Honorary Professor and WRI Board Member Director
University of Cape Town; African Union
Betty Kibaara

Director in the Food Initiative
The Rockefeller Foundation, Africa Regional Office
Baomiavotse Vahinala Raharinirina

Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development of Madagascar

What others are saying about GLF Africa

One of the best conferences: brilliantly organized, topical, with great speakers and covering a variety of topics.

The conference featured a diverse range of speakers, in-depth discussions on critical topics and a well-organized schedule. It effectively addressed pressing environmental issues and encouraged collaboration.

Rich in content, relevant and insightful.

The way this whole conference was held was commendable. The fantastic discussions! It was a memorable experience, and I appreciate the effort that went into making it such a success. Thank you for the exceptional event!