The need to transform Kisumu’s food system is now more pressing than ever in the face of shocks and stresses that undermine its resilience and sustainability. The Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown restrictions reinforced the vulnerability of the county’s food system to shocks and stresses and impacted the availability and access to food as well as livelihoods across the food value chain.

Currently local initiatives and collaborations are underway to change the narrative of the food system, embracing aspects such as building infrastructure, market health and safety initiatives as well as multi-level governance approaches. Nevertheless, much still needs to be done to completely transform the city’s food system.

This discussion will explore opportunities and solutions to improve the resilience of Kisumu’s food system. It will consider possibilities for transforming the food system to one that is less dependent on external forces and actors for its sustainability. It will look at collaborations and initiatives that are already underway to transform the food system and how these can be strengthened. Overall, participants will unpack ways in which the governance framework of the city’s food system can be improved and how best local agri-food businesses, both formal and informal, can be supported to drive growth of the local economy.