What World Agriculture Forum does

World Agriculture Forum (WAF) is a Netherlands-headquartered non-profit platform founded in 2020 that connects governments, farmers, agribusinesses, researchers, and development institutions to advance sustainable agricultural development. The organization operates through three primary governance structures: a Global Council for thought leadership and strategic coordination, Country Councils for country-level implementation (currently active in Kenya, with Country Directors appointed in Angola, Ghana, Pakistan, Poland, UAE, and Singapore), and a Global Youth Council for next-generation engagement. Its core deliverables include policy and issue briefs, event reports, webinars, policy dialogues, and stakeholder meetings, with the current strategic agenda emphasizing the convergence of AI and bioengineering technologies for climate-resilient agriculture and alignment with national AI strategies such as Kenya's AI Strategy 2025-2030.

WAF's revenue model is built around three streams: membership subscriptions for its Global Council and Country Councils, event-based income from policy dialogues and stakeholder meetings, and content subscriptions from its knowledge products. The organization operates offices across ten cities on five continents — Amsterdam (headquarters, at the Royal Institute of Tropics), New Delhi, Port Louis, Paris, Santa Fe, Washington DC, Kigali, São Paulo, Abuja, and Nairobi — with senior leadership distributed globally. Strategic partners include the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA), International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC), African-Asian Rural Development Organization (AARDO), and African Asian Agency for Integrated Development (AAAID).

The forum's stated value proposition is bridging the gap between policy ambition and on-farm reality by facilitating the flow of innovations, technologies, and success models to smallholder farmers globally. It positions itself as a sovereign and unbiased convener, with formal governance via a Board of Trustees (chaired by Prof. Rudy Rabbinge) and a Management Board (chaired by Dr. Ameenah G. Fakim), and an Executive Director (Dr. MJ Khan) based in New Delhi.

Name

World Agriculture Forum

Legal name

World Agriculture Forum

Website

https://worldagricultureforum.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

World Agriculture Forum is a Netherlands-based non-profit platform founded in 2020 that connects governments, farmers, agribusinesses, and researchers through Global and Country Councils, policy briefs, and events to advance sustainable agriculture with an emphasis on AI and bioengineering convergence.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Policy and Development Platform

NAICS

Support Activities for Crop Production (11511)

SIC

International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (BPAGAGAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainable Agriculture, Food Systems & Land Management (BPADALAG), Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (Fair Trade, Food Access, Regenerative) (BPAGALAD), Agriculture, Food & Nutrition Congresses (THAHAJAI)

Keywords

• Agricultural policy advocacy
• Sustainable agriculture development
• Food security solutions
• Agribusiness stakeholder engagement
• International development partnerships

Headquarters

HQ city

Zuidwolde

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership and Community Engagement: WAF operates as a non-profit venture connecting stakeholders across the agricultural ecosystem through membership programs including Global Council and Country Councils.
2. Events and Dialogues: Revenue generated through organizing policy dialogues, stakeholder meetings, webinars, and other agricultural-focused events.
3. Knowledge Products: Policy briefs, reports, and publications shared through the knowledge and insights center.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

World Agriculture Forum is a global non-profit platform connecting governments, farmers, agribusinesses, experts, and development institutions to drive sustainable agricultural development through policy advocacy, trade facilitation, and technology-driven solutions. Its core offerings are a Global Council, Country Councils, and a Global Youth Council, supported by policy briefs, event reports, policy dialogues, stakeholder meetings, and webinars. The forum operates as a sovereign, unbiased convening body aimed at bridging implementation gaps between policy ambition and on-farm reality, with a focus on AI and bioengineering convergence for climate resilience.

Product overview

World Agriculture Forum is a global non-profit platform connecting diverse stakeholders (governments, farmers, agribusinesses, experts, development institutions) to drive sustainable agricultural development. The platform operates through a multi-faceted approach including: Global Council for thought leadership, Country Councils for regional implementation, Global Youth Council for next-generation engagement, Policy Briefs and Event Reports for knowledge sharing, and Stakeholder Meetings/Webinars for collaboration. The forum focuses on policy advocacy, trade facilitation, and technology-driven solutions, particularly emphasizing AI and bioengineering convergence.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WAF Global Youth Council: A council under WAF focused on engaging youth in agriculture globally
• WAF Country Councils

Products and services

• Country Councils National and regional bodies that bring together government officials, researchers, investors, and agribusiness leaders to develop investment pipelines addressing climate variability, supply chain disruptions, and food security through AI and bioengineering.
• Global Council A global council that brings together diverse stakeholders for thought leadership and strategic coordination on agricultural development initiatives worldwide.
• Global Youth Council A youth-focused council engaging next-generation leaders in agricultural innovation and sustainable development initiatives.
• Policy & Issue Briefs Research-based policy and issue briefs providing analysis and recommendations on agricultural policy and development challenges for governments and stakeholders.
• Event Reports Published reports documenting outcomes and insights from WAF-organized events, conferences, and stakeholder meetings.
• Events & Webinars Policy dialogues, stakeholder meetings, and webinars organized for community engagement and knowledge exchange among agricultural stakeholders.
• Agribusiness Challenge & Needs Survey Report Survey report analyzing challenges and needs of the agribusiness sector to inform WAF programs and initiatives.

Quantifiable outcome

• Increased yields and improved farmer incomes targeted by 2028
• +1 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 May 2026ILRI serves as the venue for WAF's Kenya Country Council launch and represents a key research partner for livestock and agricultural research initiatives.
• International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICBA is featured as a strategic partner, contributing expertise in biosaline agriculture and sustainable farming in marginal environments.
• International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIFDC collaborates with WAF on fertilizer development and sustainable nutrient management for agricultural transformation.
• African-Asian Rural Development Organization (AARDO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAARDO partners with WAF to advance rural development across African and Asian regions through agricultural innovation.
• African Asian Agency for Integrated Development (AAAID)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAAAID works with WAF on integrated development initiatives linking African and Asian markets and agricultural systems.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA): AGRA is a non-profit partnership-driven platform that works with African governments, donors, and agribusinesses to catalyze sustainable agricultural productivity across Africa. WAF shares AGRA's convening-and-implementation model and competes for the same government relationships and donor funding in African markets.
• CropLife International: CropLife International is a global industry association representing the plant science industry that engages governments and stakeholders on agricultural innovation and policy. It is comparable to WAF as a multi-stakeholder platform advocating for technology-driven agricultural transformation at the international level.
• World Farmers' Organisation (WFO): WFO is a global non-profit farmer organization that represents farmer-led groups across more than 50 countries, convening producers and policy makers to influence agricultural policy. It is the most direct peer to WAF given its comparable mission of multi-stakeholder convening and policy advocacy for sustainable agriculture.
• Global Forum on Agricultural Research and Innovation (GFAR): GFAR is a multi-stakeholder global forum that connects research organizations, farmers, civil society, and the private sector to advance agricultural research for development. It mirrors WAF's convening role and stakeholder architecture, with overlapping focus on knowledge sharing and policy advocacy.
• World Food Prize Foundation: The World Food Prize Foundation is a non-profit that recognizes achievements in combating world hunger through an annual prize and the Borlaug Dialogue, convening global leaders on food security. It overlaps with WAF's thought leadership, events, and policy advocacy positioning in sustainable agriculture.
• Farm Journal Foundation: Farm Journal Foundation is a non-profit that works with farmers, industry, and policymakers to drive agricultural solutions for food security, including through farmer engagement programs and policy advocacy in Washington. It is comparable to WAF as a member-supported platform engaging farmers and policymakers on sustainable agriculture.

Broad incumbents

• International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD): IFAD is a UN financial institution that funds agricultural development projects in rural areas of developing countries, with country-level programs that overlap with WAF's Country Council model. Both organizations target smallholder farmers and developing-country governments as their core constituencies.
• Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the UN: FAO is the UN specialized agency directing international agricultural policy and food security initiatives, with structural relationships with virtually every agriculture ministry worldwide. WAF's country-level policy work sits adjacent to FAO's mandate and competes for the same policy attention and donor funding.
• World Economic Forum Food Systems Initiative: WEF's Food Systems Initiative is a flagship program convening governments, agrifood companies, and civil society to reshape global food systems. It competes with WAF in the high-level convening space and shares the same target audience of heads of state and global agribusinesses.

Emerging players

• CABI (Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International): CABI is an inter-governmental not-for-profit organization that applies scientific expertise to address agricultural and environmental challenges, with focus on plant health, knowledge, and capacity building. It is comparable to WAF as a knowledge-driven, government-linked non-profit working on sustainable agriculture outcomes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/waforum_agri
• Facebookfacebook.com/waforumagri
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/world-agriculture-forum

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about World Agriculture Forum