The African Food Fellowship offers the first proven Food Systems Leadership Programme in Africa focused on food systems actions.
The FSLP creates a springboard for Fellows on their food systems leadership journey. It facilitates Fellows to reflect on their role in their food system and lead together to work on actions to build more inclusive, healthy, and sustainable food systems.
The purpose of the programme is fourfold:
- Foster a mindset for collective food systems actions
- Provide the skills, concepts, and connections needed to initiate and deliver effective food systems actions
- Enable networks and connections, increasing opportunities for new forms of collaboration and action
- Support Fellows to design and take real world systems actions on the food system
Key principles of the programme
The design is based on adult-learning grounded in critical pedagogy, using methodologies that connect the existing knowledge of Fellows, and using their diverse experiences as real-life learning.
The FSLP is designed for online delivery which ensures the participation of Fellows from diverse areas. The key principles are appreciative enquiry, evidence-based learning, and experiential, reflective, and peer-based engagement.
Programme content
The FSLP provides food systems insights, supports design and implementation of food systems actions, and invites reflection.
First, Fellows are introduced to models that create a shared language and workflow. This enables the analysis of a national food system and the food system in an impact area (which may differ per country).
After the initiation into food systems thinking and reflection on food systems leadership, Fellows will apply their new skills to a specific self-led initiative.
The components of the Food Systems Leadership Programme are outlined below:
- Expanding food systems insights, and analytical and strategic capabilities (Food Systems Framework)
- Developing scenarios, pathways for transformation, and a vision (Foresight Methodology)
- Acquiring food systems leadership competencies (Peer-Coaching and Mentoring)
- Designing systems actions across Impact Areas (Systemcraft Approach)
- Building relations among food systems leaders supporting systems actions (including coaching, inspiration, knowledge exchange, publication)
- Reflecting critically on food systems leadership practices (interactive sessions and peer-coaching)
