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Network Cities​

The AfriFOODlinks Network Cities platform connects over 65 cities worldwide to share knowledge, learn from food systems innovators, and improve their food systems.

Overview

AfriFOODlinks directly engages in transforming food environments in 15 African cities (5 Hub and 10 Sharing Cities) and 5 European Cities. The basis of these engagements are to strengthen linkages between stakeholders in and between cities, to produce and share knowledge, to invest in real-world experiments, to promote inclusive multi-actor governance and to accelerate innovative women-and youth-led agri-food businesses. The outcomes and lessons learned through these engagements form the basis of wider engagement with a network of over 45 Network Cities across the world.

To showcase the experiences and to share expertise from partners in the wider network AfriFOODlinks, a series of webinars and conversations will be hosted by the project. These sessions will also be informed by the challenges and actions identified by the Network Cities, allowing for tailored discussions that resonate with cities.

Throughout the project, the webinars are designed to facilitate networking and peer-to-peer learning among Network Cities, promoting learning and sharing across diverse contexts. Participants will explore implementable solutions through interactive, workshop-style sessions. In addition to knowledge exchange, Network cities also benefit from becoming part of a growing coalition of cities and organisations committed to producing cutting-edge solutions to the challenges faced by our cities’ food environments. 

Join us in sharing knowledge, learning from each other, collaborating, and building connections within a global network of cities committed to sustainable urban food systems. Become a Network City!

Become a Network City

AfriFOODlinks invites applications to join and engage with a growing network of cities transforming food systems!

Become a Network City and unlock the opportunity to:

Transform Food Systems Together

Be part of a network of cities committed to Food System Transformation

Your City Showcased

A dedicated profile on the AfriFOODlinks website, spotlighting your city’s food systems.

Learn and Share Globally

Connect and exchange insights with other network cities through global platforms like ICLEI Africa and MUFPP.

Engage with other Network Cities

Participate in webinars tailored to your city’s interests and connect with a global network.

Transform Food Systems Together: Be part of a network of cities committed to Food System Transformation

Your City Showcased: A dedicated profile on the AfriFOODlinks website, spotlighting your city’s food systems.

Learn and Share Globally: Connect and exchange insights with other network cities through global platforms like ICLEI Africa and MUFPP.

Engage with other Network Cities: Participate in webinars tailored to your city’s interests and connect with a global network.

Emerging themes

Food waste and loss

Nutrition

Food markets

Storage solutions

School feeding programmes

Governance and policies

Upcoming webinars

Localising National Nutrition Plans

November 2024

TBC

Markets, leverage points for urban food systems transformation

May 2024

Food markets are key leverage points for transforming food systems, making healthy, affordable, and traditional food more accessible while driving economic development and gender equity. This session brought together city officials, market managers, and innovators from across Africa to share best practices for creating more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable urban food systems.

Past webinars

Mainstreaming urban food systems transformations: Insights from the AfriFOODlinks project

July 2022

United Nations Food Systems Summit Stocktaking (UNFSS) Event

 

AfriFOODlinks joined the UNFSS process to highlight the essential role urban food systems and local governments play in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. This side event showcased the perspectives of the AfriFOODlinks project, underscoring the importance and value of investing in urban food systems for a sustainable future.

Transforming urban food systems: Unlocking the potential of open innovation in African cities

May 2024

RISE Africa Action Festival 2024

Co-hosted by ICLEI Europe and EStà as part of the AfriFOODlinks project, this webinar explores the role of open innovation in transforming urban food systems. Experts and local government representatives will share insights and examples from Africa on how cities can unlock the potential of open innovation to reframe public policies and create enabling environments for sustainable food systems.

Markets, leverage points for urban food systems transformation

May 2024

RISE Africa Action Festival 2024

Food markets are key leverage points for transforming food systems, making healthy, affordable, and traditional food more accessible while driving economic development and gender equity. This session brought together city officials, market managers, and innovators from across Africa to share best practices for creating more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable urban food systems.

Tackling Barriers to Nutrition Access: Insights from the Vegetables for All (VfA) Programme

May 2024

This webinar drew out valuable lessons and practical approaches on how African local governments can improve access to nutrition, a challenge which continues to affect many cities across Africa and globally. In conversation with Dennis Aberi from Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), working on the Vegetables for All programme (VfA).

Exploring the role of local food policies and collaborative governance in driving urban food transitions: In conversation with Kisumu and Mbale

July 2024

This webinar focused on the essential role of local governments in transforming food systems to enhance livelihoods, support environmental sustainability, and foster community connections as part of AfricanCITYFOOD Month (ACFM) which aimed to highlight the voices of unsung heroes in food systems.

We were joined by Rose Achieng (Agri-nutrition coordinator, Kisumu County, Kenya) and Halima Namubiru (Principal Agriculture Officer, Mbale City Council, Uganda), to discuss their roles and contributions to developing local government policy and multi stakeholder partnerships which have each, respectively, strengthened and transformed their city’s local food system.

Creating Enabling Environments for School Nutrition Programmes: Unpacking Ugandan Experiences on Role of City Governments

September 2024

In this webinar, we explored the impact and evolution of school feeding programmes, which are crucial for providing nutrition to children from low-income families. We were joined by Entebbe, Fort Portal, and Mbale who discussed the successes, challenges, and lessons learned from school feeding programmes in their cities. The conversation was guided by the Uganda Nutrition Action Plan (2020-2025), focusing on how this plan has supported the success of school feeding programmes at the local level. We aimed to use this as a learning opportunity for cities facing similar contexts.

Unsung heroes: A visual celebration of Africa’s urban food champions

October 2024

A virtual walk-through of the top entries from 2024’s #AfricanCITYFOODMonth Photography Competition.

Out of 190 powerful submissions, we shortlisted 15 incredible images that highlight the often-overlooked figures who sustain our cities—from market vendors to street food chefs and agri-entrepreneurs. 

These unsung heroes play a vital role in building healthy, accessible, and sustainable urban food systems, yet their contributions often go unrecognised. In this webinar, we’ll explore their stories of resilience and dedication alongside the photographers who captured them.

Food and Nutrition Security as an urban phenomenon - what this means for cities: Key insights and recommendations from the HLPE-FSN (High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition) Report with Team Leader, Jane Battersby

October 2024

The webinar, “Food and Nutrition Security as an Urban Phenomenon: Key Insights and Recommendations from the 2024 HLPE-FSN Report” featured Jane Battersby, the 2024 HLPE Report Team Lead. She presented on the report’s key findings and recommendations, offering insights into how local governments can shape food systems to enhance food security, improve nutrition, and support livelihoods in rapidly urbanising environments.

Creating Enabling Environments for School Nutrition Programmes: Unpacking Ugandan Experiences on Role of City Governments

May 2024

In this webinar, we explored the impact and evolution of school feeding programmes, which are crucial for providing nutrition to children from low-income families. We were joined by Entebbe, Fort Portal, and Mbale who discussed the successes, challenges, and lessons learned from school feeding programmes in their cities. The conversation was guided by the Uganda Nutrition Action Plan (2020-2025), focusing on how this plan has supported the success of school feeding programmes at the local level. We aimed to use this as a learning opportunity for cities facing similar contexts.