Equatorial Guinea's National Council for Economic and Social Development convened a two-day forum in Malabo focused on economic reform and agricultural transformation. The event brought together government officials, civil society representatives, business leaders, international organizations, farmer associations, ranchers, fishers, the Chamber of Commerce, universities, research centers and UN agencies to map out a strategy for modernizing the country's agricultural sector and diversifying the economy.

Participants discussed concrete proposals to revamp the agrarian sector, strengthen public‑private‑community partnerships, and promote science, technology and innovation as key drivers of change. The forum highlighted the need to identify investment and financing opportunities, improve value chains, expand agro‑processing, and support smallholder farmers with access to inputs, credit and markets.

Regional experts from Gabon, Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon and Morocco shared lessons on successful agricultural policies, cooperative models, climate‑smart farming and export development. Plenary sessions and working groups produced recommendations on capacity building for extension services, development of pilot projects to demonstrate new practices, and measures to boost fisheries management and sustainable ranching.

Suggested next steps include drafting a national agricultural reform roadmap, establishing multi‑stakeholder working groups to implement priority projects, seeking technical and financial support from international partners, and setting up monitoring mechanisms to track progress. Stakeholders also recommended improving rural infrastructure, strengthening farmer cooperatives, and creating incentives for private investment in processing and cold‑chain logistics.

If implemented, the forum's proposals could help reduce food import dependence, create rural jobs, and broaden Equatorial Guinea's economic base through more resilient, technology‑driven and market‑oriented agriculture.