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The power and practice of impact networks: Lessons from food systems transformation

The power and practice of impact networks: Lessons from food systems transformation

Claudia Piacenza

Claudia Piacenza

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Networks that bring together cross-sector leaders to work on shared problems super charge impact in complex environments.

In Africa, the challenges of hunger and malnutrition remain stark: one in five people – over 282 million – are undernourished (State of Food and Agriculture (FAO 2019)), and 30% of children under five suffer from stunted growth. Despite some progress, these figures highlight how far we are from achieving key nutrition and health targets.

Compounding the issue, Sub-Saharan Africa loses over 30% of its total crop production every year – equivalent to more than USD 4 billion in value. These losses not only strain food security but also undermine efforts to lift millions out of poverty.

Amid these challenges, could the power of networks offer solutions?

Why networks (and not just collaboration) matter

One of the biggest challenges when working on complex problems is adapting to an ever-changing context.

One of the pre-conditions for operating in an adaptive way is dynamic learning. When we approach issues from just one angle, one niche expertise, or one specific or static point of view, we risk falling into the well-known trap of the blind scientist who, touching an elephant’s ear believes that she is touching a fan.

It is only by bringing together diverse perspectives that we can truly see the “big picture” (or in other words, the whole elephant).

Spoiler alert: the “big picture” is not just big – it’s rich and multifaceted.

For example, let’s look at the average age of farmers in Africa. Many organisations are working to engage youth in agriculture, recognising the importance of securing the next generation of farmers.

These efforts rightly focus on making agriculture more attractive for young farmers by lowering barriers to access it, increasing the role of tech and digital tools, and reframing the narrative around entrepreneurial opportunities.

At the recent Kenya Transform Food Festival hosted by the African Food Fellowship, we worked around this very issue – engaging youth in agriculture.

By bringing in different perspectives, the conversation quickly moved beyond traditional business models and the cost of agricultural inputs to collective narratives and educational approaches. Suddenly, we looked at a very familiar problem in an unfamiliar way.

We dived into cultural insight: in many rural areas, schools and families use farm work as punishment for undisciplined children. This shift in focus – from economic barriers to cultural narratives and educational practices – was a revelation to many. Suddenly the problem took on a new dimension, leading us to explore how to reshape perceptions about agriculture and food production, starting with very young children in schools.

While this idea may seem obvious to a sociologist or anthropologist, it was an eye-opener for participants from the private and public sectors.

So why was this breakthrough possible?

It came down to one critical approach that defines how networks work: we placed our shared objective at the centre of our discussion, rather than starting with a particular solution or organisational point of view.

As one of our Fellows once said: “Leave your logos and egos at the door and focus on the common purpose.”

The role of trust in building networks

Of course, for networks to work, we need trust at their core. I’ve heard from many leaders that building trust is the foundation for real collaboration.

Trust allows us to share not just knowledge but resources, shifting from a learning phase to actionable plans. It’s about helping everyone see each other as partners rather than competitors.

In practice, trust takes time and care – it grows as we consistently show up, follow through on commitments, and invite open dialogue. This way, networks become not only strong but safe spaces for everyone involved. We create an environment where funders, local organisations, and practitioners feel comfortable sharing ideas, knowing they’ll be met with respect and openness.

Trust is the foundational pre-condition to move from a competitive approach to a place of collaboration.

When we curate a network that wants to stimulate action (and ultimately deliver impact) we tend to focus on the support provided in the form of grants, technical assistance, facilitation and so on. If we don’t intentionally invest in building trust, our efforts are at high risk of not delivering the expected results.

Systems leadership: The key to lasting impact

Ultimately, networks are a means to an end. The end here is to improve the way people eat, their health and the health of our planet, and their inclusion in economies and societies.

Leading change that transforms our current food systems takes a special kind of leadership. Leadership that drives system transformation requires mastery of complex thinking, adaptive management, and collective action.

A recent study by the African Food Fellowship shows that while technical skills are essential, they are not enough. On top of being agronomists, food safety scientists or nutritionists, food system leaders must embody the qualities of a businessperson, an advocate, a communicator, and an organiser.

Do such leaders exist? And what is the right balance between the skills that we need to develop as individuals versus those we cultivate as part of a collective entity?

How do we know if a network is having an impact?

It’s one thing to build a network, but how do we know it’s truly making a difference? There are two indicators that matter most: network health and impact.

A healthy network is one with active participation, where each member feels valued and connected.

A healthy network provides an opportunity to engage in a variety of ways, based on individual gifts, traits, and life stages.

Impact, on the other hand, is harder to attribute directly to the work of networks. For this reason, we focus more often on contribution and influence.

An invitation to join the journey

Do you want to bring organisations and individuals together around a complex problem? Are you interested in exploring the intersection between network curation and system thinking? Get in touch! Reach out to Claudia on [email protected].

The African Food Fellowship recruits new Fellows every year. We will soon be inviting food systems leaders in Rwanda and Kenya to join the Fellowship, which offers a much-needed community of change-makers, learning opportunities about food systems leadership, and chances to collaborate with others working on similar problems.

Visit the African Food Felowship’s website for more information and keep an eye out for calls for application.

Photo by Francesco Rosati



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December 4, 2024 by
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African Food Fellowship hosts 3rd annual Kenya Transform Food Festival

African Food Fellowship hosts 3rd annual Kenya Transform Food Festival

Jaqueline Kubania &
Stella Odhiambo

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Happy smiles! Kenya Food Fellows pose for a picture during the Kenya Transform Food Festival.

The African Food Fellowship on 8 November, gathered farmers, researchers, entrepreneurs, government officials and other food systems practitioners in Nairobi for the Kenya Transform Food Festival 2024. The festival, now in its third edition, celebrates leadership action as a key catalyst for transforming food systems in Kenya.

It provides opportunities for like-minded individuals who share a passion for food systems to connect, interact and collaborate to create healthy, inclusive and sustainable food systems. This year’s festival was an immersive and inspirational experience showcasing how the Fellowship is championing food systems actions, which are initiatives that address complex problems within food systems and shift the underlying conditions that cause them. 

“Although there is a lot of good work happening in the agricultural sector in Africa, there hasn’t been a great understanding of how to act systemically. The African Food Fellowship was borne of a need to link people already operating within food systems, and get them to ask: how do we collaborate and shift food systems to be good for people and the planet?”, said African Food Fellowship Deputy Director and Wasafiri MD Alex Rees in a keynote speech given at the event.

First Daughter Charlene Ruto (left) and Prof Ruth Oniang’o (right) interact with Kenya Food Fellow Janet Ngombalu during the festival.

Guests included renowned nutrition expert and food systems leader Prof Ruth Oniang’o, and Kenya’s first daughter and founder of SMACHS Foundation, Charlene Ruto, who both lauded the Fellowship for its efforts to nurture leadership in Kenya’s agricultural sector.

During the event, Fellows had an opportunity to showcase their food systems actions and give guests a look at their personal journeys. They invited guests to make the experience their own by asking questions, giving feedback, and even joining in as collaborators.

“I am collaborating with two other Fellows to make school meals more nutritious for children. We want indigenous foods like cassava, omena, and traditional vegetables included in school feeding programmes because these foods are more nutritionally dense and better adapted to adverse weather conditions,” said Sylvia Kuria, an organic farmer who joined the Fellowship in 2022.

Kenya Food Fellows Auleria Apopo (left) and Sylvia Kuria (centre) take guests through their food system action which addresses childhood malnutrition.

Robert Shumari, who is also an African Food Fellow, showcased his efforts to diversify nutrition and livelihoods in arid Kajiado County, where he is running aquaculture learning hubs to teach the pastoralist Maasai community how to rear fish.

“My community loses a lot of livestock during droughts, which leaves them impoverished and unable to meet their families’ nutrition needs. I am teaching them to farm fish in a sustainable way so that they have food and income even during the driest months,” he said. He noted that so far, over 300 people have attended his workshops and almost 200 of them have started farming fish. Among his biggest collaborators are the county government of Kajiado and the local community, whose buy-in and participation is essential for long-term success.

Kenya Food Fellow Apollo Karugah contributes to discussions at the festival.

The festival also featured a live podcast session where economist Sarah Wachekeh and agri-entrepreneur Mutuma Muriuki took guests through the vulnerable art of building collaborations as a path towards Food System Actions. They got candid about the opportunities that collaborations open up (that are not accessible to singular actors), the challenges and tensions they have had to navigate while working with others, and what success looks like when collaborations work.

“The days of working in silos are over,” noted Sarah. “You have to bring on board as many actors as required in order to achieve meaningful impact.”

Kenya Food Fellows Mutuma Muriuki and Sarah Wachekeh on stage during the live podcast recording at the festival.

The African Food Fellowship approach to food system transformation is built on collaborative leadership. By creating an enabling environment for food system actors who work in different parts of Kenya’s food system to collaborate, they are equipped with analytical, methodological and design skills to address familiar issues in unfamiliar ways, focusing on drivers of systemic change. These initiatives provide creative solutions to the most pressing challenges facing food systems today, including climate change, malnutrition and poverty.

African Food Fellowship learning programme lead Riti Herman-Mostert (left) and Kenya Food Fellow Richard Midikira keenly follow proceedings during the festival.

“The Fellowship believes that systemic leadership can be taught. We back people working on systemic change and give them the support they need to do good work,” said Brenda Mareri, African food Fellowship Kenya Dean and Implementation Lead and Wasafiri’s Senior Manager for Food Systems.

Festival guests pose for a group photo.

This article was originally posted on the African Food Fellowship website.



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November 20, 2024 by
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Return of the hero: Systems leadership needs individuals willing to step up

Return of the hero: Systems leadership needs individuals willing to step up

The idea of leadership as an activity for a heroic few has been well critiqued. But as we confront a climate crisis and growing social polarisation is it time for a rethink?

Kate Simpson

KATE SIMPSON

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For the last decade or so leadership thinking has encouraged us to see ‘leadership as a team sport’.  Collaboration, distributed action, innovation, participation are the sources of power that leadership draws on and unleashes in the many, not the few. And this is undoubtedly a good thing.

However, as we confront a climate and biodiversity crisis; as we wrestle with growing inequality and polarisation; and as we search for new forms of economy, new forms of national and global governance, and if we are to create private firms capable of more than just maximising share holder profit –  maybe we are going to need a few more heroes to show up? 

We will never deal with the complex and ambiguous challenges we face if we just wait for some sort of heroic leader to show up. That is, someone who seems to have more courage, more certainty, more insight, more knowledge, more passion, more hair, just more… than we have. They are not coming. Mostly because they don’t exist. But also because no one person, however brilliant, and well intentioned can tackle complex problems alone. Collective action is the only form of action. 

However, the sort of challenges we face are going to require significant disruption of the status quo. They are going to require businesses to internalise things that they have long externalised – like their impact on their environment, or on the health and wellbeing of staff. Government departments  need to change how they relate to citizens; academic institutions need to take responsibility for both who they educate and who (and why) they exclude. International NGOs will need to let go of some of the resources they control and let others control them if decolonisation and localisation are to be realised. What ever sector you sit in there are deep changes to make in who has power, who is served, who is excluded. And as with all systems level change, there will be resistance. 

Significant shifts in power have never come through consensus. They have been pushed for and demanded and alternatives built to prove what’s possible. And people have taken risks to do these things. Personal risks – with their own careers, assets, popularity, credibility and even their bodies. And this is the sort of heroic leadership we are going to need. The sort where individuals are willing to risk things that matter to them; and to be seen to do so. 

But it is not an either or. We are going to need both heroic leadership acts and mass unleashed, collaborative, participatory, experimental, unstoppable, relentless leadership. So there are a few caveats in my call for a little more heroism: 

 

All heroes need (a lot) of friends

For change to happen a lot of people need to take a lot of actions. When Rosa Parks decided to claim her right to sit on the bus she put her body on the line. She risked her freedom, her physical safety.  The year long Alabama bus protest which followed saw hundreds of people wear their shoes out as they walked to and from work. 

The ensuing dismantlement of the racist Jim Crow Laws was an outcome both of the action of heroes (of which Rosa Parks was one) and of a legion of people who did the long slow personal work of following. Systems change needs both – the individual heroes who stand out and the masses who stand up. Most of us won’t have what it takes, or the opportunity, to be heroes but we can respond to them when they shown up.

The unsung heroes matter

One of the big problems with ‘hero leadership’ is that it tends to just focus on the internal story of the person and not the wider context they were in. Sometimes the same action done by a different person or in a different moment has much less impact. A few months before Rosa Parks there was Collette Colvin – who also claimed her right to sit where she chose on a bus. Her action was the same, her impact was not. 

Perhaps because of who she was (younger, less well connected) perhaps the moment wasn’t quite right. Likewise, Greta Thunberg was not the first person to mount a school strike for the climate. Systems change is a dynamic thing. There are windows of opportunity that are hard to predict till after someone has charged through them. So if we need heroes then we need a lot of them, and only a few will get their stories told. 

Heroic acts not heroic people

The problem with people who do heroic things is that they always turn out to be flawed. If we are going to ask more of ourselves and each other in terms of visibility and boldness then we also have to accept individuals’ abilities to be both wonderfully right and good and also wrong and flawed. This is not some sort of offset scheme where the good and bad are tallied and an average found. Rather it is an acceptance that both will exist in all of us.  

Ultimately, we can not leave the climate crisis, social justice and the building of a more peaceful and equitable world in the hands of the few. It is going to need collective action. But nor can we expect to make a difference without being seen, without being willing to spend some of the things many of us have carefully built – our careers, our popularity, our security, our networks, our perceived competence, our invisibility.



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November 11, 2024 by
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What is food systems leadership – and can it drive transformation?

What is food systems leadership – and can it drive transformation?

Brenda Mareri

Brenda Mareri

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In the complex and ever-changing world of food systems, traditional approaches often fall short of addressing the root causes of challenges like malnutrition, hunger, food insecurity, climate change and environmental degradation. This is where the concept of Food Systems Leadership becomes crucial.

Food systems leadership is a term that’s easy to understand in theory or in high-level strategy meetings. But what does it actually mean in practice? When we talk about transforming the way we produce, distribute, and consume food, what does a food systems leader do?

We look at some of the drivers and components of this approach to leadership.

Drivers of Systems Leadership

Systems Mindset: Seeing the bigger picture

Food systems leadership begins with adopting a systems mindset, which means recognising the food system as a complex web of interconnected parts, from production and distribution to consumption and waste management. It’s about actively identifying how various elements like policy, agriculture, economics, and community health interact and impact one another.

For instance, understanding how local farming practices influence nutrition in schools can lead to initiatives that support both farmers and children’s health. It’s about seeing the whole picture so that every action you take addresses the root causes of issues, not just the symptoms.

A great example is the Home Grown School Feeding (HGSF) model which constitutes a school feeding approach that provides safe, diverse and nutritious food, sourced locally from smallholders employing sustainable farming practices, to children in schools. This model is being piloted across many countries in Africa and addresses issues of nutrition, market access, social inclusion and economic development.

By viewing the system as a whole, leaders can better understand the root causes of issues and develop solutions that address the broader picture rather than just the symptoms.

Collective Action: Mobilising real people for real results

At the heart of food systems leadership is the ability to mobilise collective action. This means bringing together farmers, policymakers, business leaders, and community organisations to work towards common goals.

An example could be forming coalitions that lobby for better food safety regulations or creating community-supported agriculture (CSA) programs that directly connect consumers with local farmers. It’s about harnessing the power of many to drive change that no single entity could achieve on its own.

Enabling Conditions: Laying the groundwork for success

Creating the enabling conditions that allow sustainable solutions to take root is key. This goes beyond addressing immediate problems; it’s about shaping the policies, investments, and infrastructure that support long-term change.

For example, advocating for government subsidies that encourage sustainable farming practices or securing investment for building local food processing facilities.

A great example is the Tax Incentives the Nigerian Government introduced in 2022 to scale the purchase and use of solar renewable energy products, this in turn is a positive shift to create an environment to allow sustainable transition into the Green Energy economy.

These are the actions that create the foundation upon which a resilient food system can be built.

Components of Systems Leadership

At Wasafiri, our Systemcraft approach offers a comprehensive framework for this transformation, centred on five core components that are essential for driving systemic change in food systems.

Vision setting: Defining clear, achievable goals (Set the direction)

A shared vision among stakeholders is essential. Clear, achievable outcomes that everyone can work towards will guide the creation of specific initiatives. It’s about setting a direction that everyone can follow, with clear milestones to track progress.

The Malabo Declaration of 2014 was a pivotal Vision Setting strategy that was adopted by the AU Assembly Heads of State and Government in 2014 and still provides the direction for Africa’s agricultural transformation for the period 2015 – 2025.

Windows of opportunity: Meeting you where it matters most (Make it matter)

A systems leader will leverage windows of opportunity that matter the most to stakeholders in the system.

An opportunity can arise for instance, when there’s a shift in public opinion, a new policy proposal, or a crisis that brings food issues to the forefront. A systems leader will spot the opportunity and be ready to act.

An example of this is how the French Revolution of 1789, was sparked by an unexpected window of opportunity, when King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette living in extreme extravagance and nobility increased grain taxes that led to bread being too expensive. This sparked the revolution that the people exploited.

Ecosystem building: Creating networks that work (Organise for collaboration)

Building the networks and ecosystems that support ongoing collaboration and innovation will create an ecosystem for change. It’s about organising the right people, tools, and information to ensure that the food system functions smoothly and efficiently.

These networks can serve the sole purpose of creating a flow of information amongst stakeholders or more action-oriented networks striving for change at a systems level.

For example, setting up regular meetings between local farmers, policymakers, Market Owners or Associations and Buyers of produce, to discuss supply chain challenges or creating a digital platform where stakeholders can share resources and ideas.

Building incentive models: Aligning interests for change (Change the incentives)

For real, lasting change to happen, stakeholders need the right incentives. This could mean working with local governments to introduce tax breaks for businesses that reduce their food waste or creating financial incentives for farmers to adopt regenerative practices.

These incentive models help align the interests of different stakeholders, making it easier to achieve widespread buy-in and participation.

By addressing what motivates people—whether it’s financial gain, community recognition, or environmental stewardship—you can drive significant changes in behaviour.

Addressing Knowledge Asymmetry: Sharing information where it’s needed (Harness collective intelligence)

Finally, food systems leadership is about making sure that all stakeholders have access to the knowledge and information they need to make informed decisions.

This could mean creating educational programs for farmers on sustainable practices, setting up data-sharing platforms that track food supply chain efficiency, or organising workshops that teach consumers about the benefits of buying local.

Ensuring that knowledge flows freely and effectively among everyone involved could bridge gaps that can otherwise hinder progress.

Conclusion

Food systems leadership is not an abstract concept; it’s a hands-on, practical approach to transforming our food systems for the better. It moves beyond isolated interventions, focusing instead on the underlying conditions and collective actions needed to create lasting change – and in that sense, it is applicable to systems leadership when tackling any complex social issue.

By focusing on these practical aspects, we can drive the real, measurable change needed to build a more sustainable, equitable, and resilient food system for all.

Learn more

Are you interested in understanding how you can use Systemcraft to work out a complex problem you’re working on? Check out our Systemcraft Essentials course.

Brenda Mareri is a Senior Manager for Food at Wasfiri Consulting. Connect with her on LinkedIn.



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September 2, 2024 by
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How can philanthropies drive systems change together?

How can philanthropies drive systems change together?

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Systems change approaches offer the chance to accelerate impact but can be challenging to implement.

Every year philanthropic foundations spend billions of dollars to have an impact on complex issues related to food, climate, nature, poverty, health, peace and nutrition. And yet, despite much positive impact, the underlying causes of these issues persist.

Systems change approaches that are built to work with complexity, interdependence, emergence and the ever-present power dynamics that create inequality offer a way for foundations to tackle the underlying causes of the problems they care about. And consequently, many leading organisations are exploring and adopting them.

Each philanthropic organisation that embraces systems change is on a learning journey. They are codifying new language, analysis frameworks, and leadership forms. As we have worked with a growing body of philanthropists, we have come to recognise some common struggles, and the opportunity to learn faster by learning together.

Challenges shared by philanthropies that practice systems change

Strategic focus: Funding portfolios are often delineated by technical themes such as agriculture, gender, climate, or livelihoods. Yet these are entangled in the real world. How might philanthropic organisations support interventions layered together to achieve transformative impact? How can they set strategic boundaries that ensure discrete work delivers impact within indiscrete systems?

Working with grantees: Grant recipients often seek immediate impact on an issue and can lack the tools and motives to work on underlying conditions. How can philanthropies guide and support them in pursuit of systems change?

Power: Power inequalities underpin most systemic issues. How can philanthropies apply their funds in ways that rebalance these? How can they harness or even cede their high-level influence in ways that elevate the disenfranchised?

Collaboration: System change can take decades, yet funding cycles are measured in years. How can philanthropies structure collaboration that ensures support beyond their individual timeframes and mandates? How can they operate as an ecosystem in ways that catalyse rather than capture impact?

Monitoring, evaluation and learning: System change embraces emergence, experimentation, and agility. So, how can MEL focus on dynamically improving impact more than doggedly proving impact?

The response to each of these challenges may be different for different foundations, but there is much that they can learn from one another.

If we are going to realise the speed scale and lasting impact that systems change approaches offer – then we need to learn fast and we need to learn together.



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June 7, 2024 by
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Wasafiri’s License to Lead programme: Investing in tomorrow’s leaders

Wasafiri’s License to Lead programme: Investing in tomorrow’s leaders

We celebrate Aisha Adan, the inaugural candidate in the License to Lead programme, a key initiative fostering leadership development

Stella Odhiambo

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At Wasafiri, we believe in the power of diversity, equity, and inclusion to drive positive change. Our commitment to a more diverse generation of leaders led us to recently launch the ‘License to Lead’ (L2L) programme as a pivotal component of our DEI agenda.

The programme is a five-year commitment aimed at nurturing and growing a diverse pool of leaders within Wasafiri, with a particular focus on our African and Africa-based staff. Recognising the need for more leadership and management development opportunities, we are dedicated to correcting this imbalance through targeted investment in everyone’s professional growth.

Goals and benefits

The L2L goals and benefits reflect our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion:

  1. Improving diversity, equity, and inclusion: By providing leadership opportunities to underrepresented groups, we aim to create a more diverse and inclusive work environment internally as well as with our clients, partners, and the communities we serve.
  1. Knowledge transfer and skill building: The programme will focus on transferring institutional knowledge and building leadership skills among emerging leaders, ensuring a robust leadership pipeline.
  1. Promoting responsibility and participatory decision-making: We strive to have participants take on more significant roles in decision-making processes, fostering a culture of collaboration and shared responsibility.
  1. Strengthening skills for managing complexity and diversity: In a rapidly changing business landscape, the programme equips participants with the skills needed to navigate complexity and embrace diversity.
  1. Fostering motivation and employee engagement: By investing in our employees’ professional development, we aim to enhance motivation and overall employee engagement.

Our inaugral candidate, Aisha Adan

Aisha Adan facilitating a workshop in Mombasa, Kenya

We are thrilled to announce Aisha Adan as the inaugural participant in the License to Lead programme for 2023/24. Aisha’s selection is a testament to her outstanding contributions and potential within the organisation.

As Wasafiri Managing Director Alex Rees rightly puts it, “Aisha is a key part of our future. I’ve no doubt she will make the most of the opportunity as she leans in as the inaugural winner of the License to Lead investment.”

On her win Aisha says, “This was not only incredibly gratifying but also marked a truly fulfilling milestone in my professional journey. I am eagerly looking forward to immersing myself in the L2L programme. Looking ahead, I believe that this will be a transformative journey and promises to shape  my trajectory towards impactful leadership within and beyond Wasafiri.”

As Aisha embarks on this journey, we look forward to witnessing the positive impact of the License to Lead programme on her professional growth and the broader Wasafiri community. Her success sets the stage for future leaders to emerge, contributing to a more inclusive and dynamic leadership landscape within our organisation.

L2L is not just an investment in one person, but a commitment to shaping the future we want at Wasafiri.

Congratulations, Aisha, and here’s to a brighter, more inclusive tomorrow.

Who is Aisha Adan? Click below to read more.



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November 22, 2023 by
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Wasafiri is looking for a Research and Learning Systems Lead

Wasafiri is looking for a Research and Learning Systems Lead

Stella Odhiambo

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Join our team!

We are looking for a Research and Learning Systems Lead to lead research and MLE in thematic areas such as peace/stabilisation, inclusion, food, climate and nature working with governments, implementing organisations and businesses, leading philanthropic and bilateral funders, African and global organisations, and knowledge partners.

See the full description here.

How to apply

  1. Submit the cover letter and CV to [email protected]
  2. The CV should be no longer than 3 pages
  3. Use the subject heading: Application – Research and Learning Systems Lead
  4. Application deadline: 15th December 2023

Good luck!

 



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November 15, 2023 by
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African Food Fellowship hosts 2nd annual Kenya festival

African Food Fellowship hosts 2nd annual Kenya festival

Stella Odhiambo

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The African Food Fellowship held the second edition of the annual Kenya Transform Food Festival on 3 November 2023.

Director Joost Guijt gives the keynote address during the festival

The festival brought together food systems innovators, entrepreneurs, practitioners, and decision-makers working across government, private sector, civil society, and community groups.  It explored and raised the profile of existing and emerging issues in Kenya’s food systems, focusing on the impact areas of agrifinance, horticulture, and aquaculture.

Director Joost Guijt urged guests to keep hope alive in the face of big challenges such as climate change, malnutrition, and poverty facing the food and agriculture sector today.

Dean Brenda Mareri welcomes guests to the festival

Kenya Dean and Implementation Lead Brenda Mareri said the festival provides a great platform for different people to connect, and hopefully collaborate.

“What makes the Transform Food festival special is the diversity and caliber of food systems practitioners who spend the day with us, sharing their work and ideas. We hope that the festival can be a launching pad for exciting innovations and projects designed for impactful action on the ground,” she said.

Fellow Geoffrey Rono with the African Food Fellowship deputy director Alex Rees

Fellow Mary Maina facilitates a discussion about how to apply foresight methodologies in food systems

Guests participated in discussions about collaborative leadership, and explored tools such as the foresight methodology that could help to future-proof their work.

Gregory Kimani (centre) winner of the Kenya Food Systems Leadership Award 2023 with Director Joost Guijt and Dean Brenda Mareri

The highlight of the festival was the annual Kenya Food Systems Leadership Award which is given to a Fellow who has demonstrated exceptional leadership and impact in their work.

This year’s award winner, Fellow Gregory Kimani, is the founder of City Shamba, an urban farming initiative teaching people in cities how to grow their own food. He has set up a model farm at Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital in Nairobi where more than 1800 people so far received knowledge and skills on how to grow vegetables using very little land and water and have set up their own kitchen gardens. Gregory also supplies the hospital with vegetables to supplement its patients’ nutrition needs.

First runners-up Mutuma Muriuki receives his certificate

Mutuma Muriuki was named the first runner-up. His project focuses on utilising biochar biofertilizer from organic waste to rehabilitate, recycle, and enhance soil quality. He has seen farmers’ yields increase by 50% after using biochar.

Second runner-up Dorah Momanyi, the founder of iPoP Africa, owns an agri-business that reclaims the sovereignty of indigenous grains such as pearl millet, sorghum, and brown rice by transforming them into modern snacks and breakfast cereals. 



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November 15, 2023 by
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Navigating the water-energy-food nexus

Navigating the water-energy-food nexus

Water, energy, and food are interconnected systems - we need to manage them in this way

Claudia Piacenza

CLAUDIA PIACENZA & STELLA ODHIAMBO

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While doing my weekly grocery shopping, my thoughts began to drift once I got to the produce aisle. As I reached for a plump avocado (my favourite), I thought: do I truly understand the journey this fruit has taken to get to my local supermarket? Was it sustainably grown? How much water was required to nurture its growth? And what about the energy consumed during its transportation? And the people involved in the production?

In that moment, I was grappling with a much larger issue than simply selecting a piece of fruit. I was confronting a web of interconnected systems known as the water-energy-food nexus.

According to the UN and others, water, food, and energy form a relationship at the heart of sustainable development.

Together they are tied to environmental sustainability, economic growth, and human health and decisions made in one realm can have profound effects on the others. Yet they are often managed in disconnected ways. This leads to policies and practices that do not tackle the complexity of the issue, but advance one system at the cost of others.

Scarcity as an opportunity

In a world where resources are limited and population pressures increase, scarcity is the new normal. This speeds up the move toward a new way of doing things, where one sector can’t only benefit a small, specific group of people anymore. The food sector cannot just feed people; it needs to nourish them, support their health, and delivering eco-system services too. 

Similarly, the energy sector must also contribute to social and economic inclusion, and not just support the industrial growth of a country. The inescapable reality of having to do more with less can represent an opportunity to break silos and force conversations across sectors and systems.

It is complex, but change is attainable

To make things even more complex, here are more boxes to check; our food must come from regenerative and circular practices, energy should be renewable, and water managed sustainably. To withstand current and future pressures, governments must increasingly balance the needs of people, nature, and the economy.

Despite the obvious benefits of strengthening the nexus between water, food, and energy, the multidisciplinary and collaborative approaches required often feel overwhelming. Cross-sectoral collaboration is essential if we are to achieve a just transition in our food systems.

Organising for collaboration

When governments, businesses, academia, communities, and individuals come together and share knowledge, resources, and best practice, sustainable policies ensue.

An excellent example is the Water and Sanitation for the Urban Poor (WSUP) program in Kenya. WSUP collaborates with local governments, utilities, and civil society organisations to enhance water and sanitation services in low-income urban areas. Through these partnerships, WSUP tailors solutions to each community’s unique challenges. 

The Nairobi City County Food System Strategy on the other hand, plays a pivotal role as a convener. By bringing together civil society, private sector entities, and various government agencies, this initiative addresses the pressing challenges of sustainably feeding a rapidly growing urban population.

Incentives can shift behaviour

Ever wondered why organisations have teams that strongly resemble the funding lines of their donors? And why doesn’t cross-sectoral collaboration happen more often? Understanding how incentives shape behaviour is the first step. Daring to change them is where the magic happens (and where we need to accept the resistance that will come with that).

Placing smallholders at the heart of systems

Let’s look at the work of Sylvie Nirere, a fellow at the African Food Fellowship. As Country Director of Stichting IDH in Rwanda, she works directly with farmers who produce perishable products. By engaging with stakeholders, advocating for policy reforms, and fostering systemic change, Sylvie’s work contributes to sustainable practices, resource efficiency, resilience, and improved livelihoods. 

Her efforts embody the systemic importance of transforming the food system by considering the interdependencies of water, energy, and food by bringing it down to the needs of a single farmer who needs a healthy yield to remain competitive and take better care of her family. This feeds into a wider network in an environmentally responsible way.

Learning as we go

By understanding the nexus and its implications, we make informed choices and inspire a collective shift towards more sustainable lifestyles. 

The Water Wise Program in South Africa, for instance,  promotes water conservation practices among residents in response to Cape Town’s water scarcity challenges.

Balance and Just Transition

Just Transition refers to the set of principles aimed at ensuring a fair and equitable shift towards a more sustainable and low-carbon economy.

African countries, despite contributing less to global greenhouse gas emissions, are taking proactive steps to implement Just Transition projects and policies.

  • The Renewable Energy Performance Platform (REPP) in Kenya provides financial and technical assistance to small and medium-sized renewable energy projects in sub-Saharan Africa. It promotes sustainable energy development that is balanced across the food-energy-water nexus, by supporting projects that integrate renewable energy into local agricultural and water management systems, while also creating jobs and reducing poverty.
  • Another example is the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Program in South Africa (REIPPPP) , a government initiative to accelerate the development of renewable energy projects in the country.

In conclusion, the water-energy-food nexus calls for initiatives that acknowledge their interconnectedness. Whether you are a donor, investor, NGO, or civil servant, it’s crucial to focus on designing projects that create multiple benefits at this crossroads. Each decision to implement sustainable practices will be a step towards the larger goal of creating a more resilient and balanced water, energy, and food system.

If you enjoyed this, here are a few longer reads and opinions for you:



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October 19, 2023 by