- African Indigenous Foodways (AIFs)1 offer a sustainable alternative to industrialised agriculture, promoting food sovereignty, biodiversity conservation and climate resilience. AIFs are rooted in traditional knowledge and practices, adapted to local environments with minimal external inputs.
- Knowledge co-creation and sharing are crucial for advancing AIFs. This involves collaboration between farmers, researchers and other stakeholders to develop and disseminate practical, locally relevant agroecological knowledge. Networks and platforms play a vital role in facilitating this exchange.
- AIFs align with agroecological principles, contributing to food and nutrition security (FNS) and cultural preservation. They empower local producers, including smallholder farmers, wild harvesters, fishers and pastoralists, while responding to the complex, interconnected polycrisis of food security and health, livelihoods poverty and inequality, and climate change and environment.
- Transitioning to AIFs requires policy support, funding mechanisms and regional collaboration. Initiatives like seed festivals, national dialogues and agroecological farm projects demonstrate the potential for scaling up AIFs across Africa.
- Philanthropy can play a significant role in supporting AIFs by funding knowledge co-creation initiatives, empowering local community-based organisations, and promoting policies that protect biodiversity and reduce corporate influence in food systems. This support is crucial for building resilient, equitable and sustainable food systems capable of feeding Africa’s growing population while mitigating climate change impacts.
related Publications
African Food Systems Transformation Collective Brief Series 19: Land Tenure, Land Reform and Agroecological Transition
Land is a crucial resource for agriculture and food systems in Africa and plays a key role in addressing challenges such as habitat loss, biodiversity decline and greenhouse gas emissions. However, inadequate or inappropriate land tenure systems often limit access to land, leading to conflicts, discouraging agricultural investment and preventing ...
African Food Systems Transformation Collective Brief Series 18: Transitions to Sustainable, Resilient and Equitable Fisheries and Aquaculture in Africa
Africa faces a triple burden of malnutrition driven by food insecurity, unhealthy diets and systemic inequities. Fisheries are vital for food security and employment, yet marginalised communities – including indigenous fishers – often face exclusion from tenure rights and policy-making. In Nigeria, small-scale fishers struggle with environmental degradation, tenure conflicts and weak ...
African Food Systems Transformation Collective Brief Series 17: Agenda for Competition Reform in Africa for Fair Agrifood Systems
This brief addresses the urgent need for competition reforms in African agrifood systems to enhance resilience against climate shocks, reduce food prices, and empower smallholder farmers and small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs). Key recommendations include strengthening regional cooperation among competition authorities, improving market intelligence, and mobilising international donor support. These ...