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Question 2: What are the priority areas for policy actions? What policies, programs, institutions and technologies can enable the transformation to a resilient city-region system that integrates multiple actors at TaMA? •The Department of Agriculture should ensure that farming activities are done to ensure food security- the city can plan for food and jobs. •‘One village one dam’ could be implemented as an initiative to provide a source of water for the rises in gardening and livestock farming •Encourage all community members (consumers and producers) to recycle to reduce waste and p... Read moreromote composed manure for farming activities in the city. •Incorporate traditional foods: this could be done by encouraging the city to produce its own food as food is mostly imported. Incorporation of traditional food has could help promote nutritious diets •Health Food Africa project: raising awareness and promoting food systems that can withstand shocks and stresses •Awareness programmes: community nutrition awareness education sessions are necessary. People tend to eat food that lack nutritional value because it is affordable and accessible. Benefits of raising awareness: Tamale citizens have now started consuming moringa because there has been awareness raised about its benefits •Issues should be addressed from a systemic perspective, looking holistically at the entire food value chain. •Incorporate policies that clearly define agricultural land from infrastructure land and facilitate the use of those lands reserved for urban agriculture Read less

During the discussion session, possible strategies and plans to improve resilience and reduce vulnerabilities in Tamale caused by climate change were identified. Question 1: What are the main vulnerabilities to climate change and disruptions to Tamale's Food System that are impacting food security? •Transport system: Heavy rainfalls in Tamale result in road blockages which then limits accessibility to food. Limited access to food results in food prices increasing. The city should explore alternative means of getting food to ensure that food is readily accessible in cities. •There is a tend... Read moreency to focus only on the technicalities of climate change (i.e. rainfalls and other variabilities in climate change). Other dimensions of climate change such as the different impacts climate change has on men and women is often overlooked. It was noted in the dialogue that it is important to consider these. •There is an increase of waste to landfills increases GHG emissions in the atmosphere which negatively impact on climate, promoting droughts or heavy rainfalls leading to floods. •A lack of spatial planning in the city: a lack of spatial planning means that there are no areas specifically designated for urban agriculture. •Land encroachment: land tenure system belongs to scheme land which results in resources for production being inaccessible to the vulnerable. As a result, those without ownership encroach because they are in need. •Poor legal framework on land scheme: lands do not belong to the state. It is the responsibility of the government to acquire these areas from traditional authorities and acquire land fully that can be utilised for planned for activities on the city masterplan. •Limited access to land: Smallholder women farmers do not have adequate access to productive resources. Women should be empowered to become economically independent. They need to be presented with opportunities of accessing finances (i.e. loans) which can help them build capacity in soya production. Soya can be processed into different nutritious recipes and families will be fed. •Unstable water access as a result of droughts: opportunity to invest in underground water for irrigation farming •Climate-smart agriculture has been leading the way. However, we should not treat farmers as a homogenous group. Different categories of farmers have different needs which must be studied/addressed •A lack of storage facilities. Storage facilities such as sheds for livestock are needed to protect livestock from impacts of weather changes Read less

The increase in urban population growth in the city of Tamale is resulting in an increase in the number of vulnerable urban communities. A need for food system transformation (in livestock and markets) through spatial planning was identified as means to ensure that the city is able to cope with the rising population in Tamale. To cope with the stresses that come with urban population growth, the city has reserved streams for gardening purposes and has designated places for livestock farming. The Department of Agriculture is ensuring that farming activities are done to ensure food security. It ... Read morewas also noted that there is a need for capacity building to build resilience. It is important that the city empowers women in Tamale by building capacity in soya production. This could be done by allowing women access to finance such as loans and land for production. Soya can be processed into different nutrition recipes and feed families. The youth in the city can play the role of championing nutrition awareness in community by educating community members on the importance of consuming nutritious food. These were some of the factors to consider moving forward in building resilience in Tamale: •There is a need for alternative sources of water for the rises in gardening and livestock farming. There was a suggestion of ‘One Village One Dam’ Initiative to ensure that water is available regularly for farmers. •Droughts and erratic rainfalls are affecting farming in Tamale. These are causing the greatest impact on farming activities. They destroy infrastructure and crops and limit access to water for farming activities. •Land encroachment: there is restriction in agricultural production in the city region as land tenure systems belong to scheme lands. This limits access to land for food system related activities. •There is potential for technology and QGIS to enable urban planning. Urban planning can regulate, monitor and control urban city growth and ensure effective and efficient utilization of space. Read less

Stakeholders in Tamale discussed the challenges faced by the city which are causing disruptions in its food system and negatively affecting the food security status of the city. Tamale also discussed possible initiatives to mitigate these to move towards a food system that is able to withstand shocks and stresses. Aim of the dialogue: The aim of the dialogue was to identify strategies and plans to improve resilience and reduce vulnerabilities of the Tamale city food system due to impact of climate change by enabling informed integrated strategies, policies and action plans. The dialogue discus... Read moresions were guided by these key questions: •How does the Tamale CRFS look like and what are the main elements and stakeholders of the food system? •What are the main vulnerabilities to climate change and disruptions to Tamale's Food System that are impacting food security? •What are the existing capacity and contingency plans to deal with the effects of climate shocks and stresses? •What are the gaps and priority areas for policy actions? What policies, programs, institutions and technologies can enable the transformation to a resilient city-region system that integrates multiple actors at TaMA? •As a food systems stakeholder, how can your work contribute towards building a more resilient Tamale city-region food system? Read less

•Periodic ‘closure’ of access to Lake Victoria fishery to communities affects food security and incomes of the vulnerable and poor (fishers) •The effects of cage farming on the Lake Victoria ecosystem is not yet fully understood

What are the opportunities presented by L. Victoria to the Entebbe’s food systems and environmental sustainability? What initiatives/ programs/ policies can be implemented to empower communities or enhance the value of the lake? •Promoting and advance farming for sustainability to feed urban dwellers •Implementation of the existing policies - robust plan to roll out the policies •Involve the communities more! •Establishment of food banks •Address food waste as in the New market - is still a problem •Value adding section - process some of the food, meats etc. •Increased Storage ... Read morefacilities •Connection to energy - better practices, subsidies, address reliability •Promote access to agriculture finance/credit for urban farmers - across the food chain - difficult to access, need for more accessible - community bank (involving the private sector- banks) •Including informal and street food vendors in the planning process Read less

Who are the key food systems transformation stakeholders and what are their requirements/ needs in order to drive food systems transformation? •Urban planners: Strengthen urban- rural linkages (urban / per urban settings) and incorporate these in urban plans •Policy makers and planners: Food sustainability in Entebbe – to draft an inclusive urban food system policy in Entebbe as well as food safety policies and other practices •Territorial governance (stakeholder forums) to dialogue and support food governance through food councils that involve urban / rural continuum as well as differ... Read moreent stakeholders across the food value chain •Public Health Stakeholders - Safe food especially cooked food for example: designated places for evening ready food markets. Should devise ways of monitoring food safety without necessarily excluding street food traders- possibly though licencing •Local Government authorities / Municipality and lower councils / the poor….Food must be made available, accessible, affordable as big part of the population is poor --- everyone deserves to eat safely given the food environment in Entebbe and other cities •National level actors: working closer with the Entebbe Municipality to draft implementable regulations at local level such as how to run and resource market safety and cleanliness programs How can Entebbe Municipal Council and local stakeholders be empowered to carry on, extend and identify opportunities to achieve resilient and environmentally sustainable urban food systems? •Employing researchers to come up with evidence based interventions •Coming up with enforceable by laws on food systems •Using a human rights approach to resource management •Infrastructure development like roads, waterways and food storage and carriage facilities •Investing in Alternative agricultural practices like fish pond farming •Capacity building of the citizens and local authority leaders in climate change, environmental sustainability, clean energy, water harvesting and agro forestry What initiatives/ programs/ good practice are currently happening that are promoting environmental sustainability and food security around the lake? •Adoption of farming systems with emphasis on agro-ecology, environmental sustainability and resilience •Advocacy and consumer awareness e.g. consumer forums – food safety and quality •Inspectors and enforcers of food safety standards should be empowered to conduct their responsibility. Government needs to invest and implement food safety standards. •Biotechnology and GMO law must be passed by government. The municipality and country should champion that. •Vertical agriculture should be promoted by making room for urban food production using appropriate technologies •Enabling fisher folks and communities to access skills, technologies and finance that can empower then to go into fish Read less

What are the structural challenges affecting Entebbe’s food System? •Population growth that is leading to conversion of land into settlements and large scale infrastructural development •How to make agriculture more intensive - land will continue to dwindle so we need to come up with innovations on how to intensively grow food in small spaces in order to avail different options for feeding the rapidly growing urban population. •Political structure is not so conducive (there is need for openness to work with diverse actors) •Cage Farming - we need to study more and decide which the op... Read moretimal carrying capacity •‘Urban’ connotation means food importer from other areas (food requirements, standards set by the colonial setting/ technocrats). •Lake Victoria - waste management and pollution (palm oil, fast growing urban areas), rising water levels affect provision of quality water for domestic and production including fisheries (safety) •Urban sprawl - commons like wetlands, forests are grabbed by the rich people and the poor encroach for agriculture, etc. •Less attention given to standards and practices of ready food (cooked) on which many people depend, raising concerns around food safety in Entebbe •Land management issues like individuals owning land titles in the buffer zones •Higher level Local Authority (Wakiso district) overshadowing the creativity and flexibility of Entebbe Municipal council is managing its local food system •Lack of technical and financial support to interventions like greening the municipality and other parts of the food chain •Weakness in multi-sector / actor coordination to improve the food systems in Entebbe. A lot of sectors at national level and departments still operate in silos •No consumer engagement / feedback. Consumers are not empowered What policies, programs and incentives can be adopted / introduced to support systemic transformation of Entebbe’s food system to one that is resilient and maximises its strategic location within the Lake Victoria basin to achieve food security and environmental sustainability? •Many policies that could potentially influence the nature of the food system exist but are not fully implemented •Government is moving away from sector-wide planning to program planning •Urban Farming – there is need to provide skills of intensive urban agriculture in response to the growing land shortage and projected food demand •Water Transport - Entebbe can become a regional hub for receiving goods from other ports along L. Victoria. This same transport infrastructure can be beneficial for the ease in transportation f food between different port cities in Kampala and the East African region. •Exploring Collaborative engagement for controlling pollution of the lake e.g. towards reducing the problem of plastic waste in the lake. •Conflict between political leaders and technical workers at local government level - we need to have cohesion Read less

•Need for responsive policy architecture for sustainable food systems in Entebbe (addressing challenges in the food chain, food safety, etc.) •There is need to better regulate and improve land rights and access (ownership, land grabbing, conservation of commons, land use planning, fisheries management to benefit all, etc.) •Promote agro ecology / urban agriculture as part of urban planning in Entebbe Municipality to increase food security while conserving the Lake Victoria ecosystem in light of the increasing food, fuel and water demands; but also given Entebbe’s position as a bird san... Read morectuary for ecotourism development / promotion. •Scale up consumer awareness / advocacy on food rights, food safety, nutrition standards, consumer complaints mechanism, media engagement, etc.) •Support nature based solutions including tree belts, buffer zoning for Lake Victoria to protect wetlands, forests, river and lake banks so as to sustain the fisheries sector and protect water resources for various uses •Scale up existing and potential good practices that benefit the vulnerable and poor communities and the environment: Cooperatives that bring together food suppliers and end users; alternative and efficient energy use at household and institutions; recycling of municipal organic waste / zero waste, water harvesting, local dishes •Launch stakeholder forums to discuss and implement food governance across Entebbe’s food chain and what can be done by whom in short, mid and long term. •Economic empowerment of communities especially the urban / rural poor that are part of the Entebbe food chain through skills development, inputs and other support •Food sensitive conducive policies for urban planning (taking care of the rural/urban realities in Entebbe; taking agriculture for food security for the vulnerable people; conservation of Lake Victoria ecosystem including wetlands, forests, lake and river banks) •Infrastructure needs to be developed further to harness Entebbe’s potential as a food basket (fisheries, crops, etc.) being an entry via water, air and land / road •Full compliance to existing policies and laws regulating use of the commons and food production •Promote sustainable fisheries including cage farming that takes cognisance of ecological limits and carrying capacity Read less

The Dialogue was titled: Entebbe CITY Independent Food Systems Dialogue - The Significance of Lake Victoria to Entebbe’s Food System: Exploring the Opportunities for Food Security, Improved Livelihoods and Environmental Sustainability Outcomes Like other rapidly growing Ugandan cities, food security in Entebbe City continues to improve but at a slow space, even with the city’s strategic location within the Lake Victoria basin. The lake is very crucial to Entebbe’s food system because it is a source of fish such as Nile Perch and Tilapia, a regional trade hub, provides suitable conditions... Read more for farming and other agricultural activities, a source of raw materials for industries as well as an ecologically sensitive zone. The fishing industry is particularly a very important aspect of Entebbe’s economy as a source of livelihoods and food security. However, due to weather changes, ecological changes and increased fishing pressure, fish catches have declined thus threatening the food security status and livelihoods of the communities that depend on the lake. Moreover, other factors have contributed to food insecurity of Entebbe city such as poor road and market infrastructure and rapid urbanization within the peninsula. These factors have led to an increase in food losses and food prices and thus affected access to food within the city. The aim of the Dialogue therefore was to map the importance of Lake Victoria to Entebbe’s and Uganda’s Food System as well as discuss strategic ways in which Entebbe City can maximize the benefits from the lake to improve food security outcomes and the environmental sustainability of the peninsula. This Dialogue was attended by over 30 participants who discussed challenges and explored opportunities and solutions to improve food and nutrition security, the livelihoods of the lake communities as well as environmental sustainability. In addition, it showcased collaborations and initiatives that are already underway to transform the food system and how these can be strengthened This was based on the following key questions for the 3 presenters and the 5 breakup sessions: •What are the food flow systems in Entebbe City? •What are the structural challenges affecting Entebbe’s food System? •What policies, programs and incentives can be adopted / introduced to support systemic transformation of Entebbe’s food system to one that is resilient and maximizes its strategic location within the Lake Victoria basin to achieve food security and environmental sustainability? •Who are the key food systems transformation stakeholders and what are their requirements/ needs in order to drive food systems transformation? •How can Entebbe Municipal Council and local stakeholders be empowered to carry on, extend and identify opportunities to achieve resilient and environmentally sustainable urban food systems? Read less

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Question 2: What solutions are feasible in responding to the challenge of environmental change, degradation and food waste in Kigali and Rulindo’s food system? •Environment protection policies and tools (which already exist) need to be mainstreamed at all level. •There is a need to develop a comprehensive approach to assess the impact of soil degradation based on production and to identify natural and human-induced causes of degradation. •Sustainable agriculture including agroecology and organic farming. •Explore hydroponics in Kigali for fruits and veggies in order to reduce the rel... Read moreiance on soil for ecosystem degradation. •It is important that a policy that preserve agricultural land is put in place in order to reduce environmental impact and to ensure that farmers have the land necessary for expansion and to continue food production. •Identify appropriate sustainable land management interventions in the current continuing soil degradation threat. •As there is low investment in waste management, public-private partnerships in food waste management should be explored. There should be support for businesses (incentives) which already has incorporated some food waste practices. Invest in food recycling industry for food waste in Kigali •Strong partnerships and coordination among key actors in urban agriculture, construction and urban food systems •Encourage the use of renewable and sustainable materials and products. •Put in place small processing units to absorb fresh produce. Put in place driers to absorb produce like maize and reduce humidity and the challenge of aflatoxins. •Marshland reclamation for increased agricultural production •Research to inform policies and programs. Without research it will be difficult to inform decision making at policy level. •Investment in transport and storage infrastructure as well as new innovations in preservation of crops should be given consideration •Farmer capacity building oriented towards achievement of all the above suggested solutions. Read less

Participants responded to two major questions. These are summarised below: Question 1: What policies and incentive mechanisms are available or can be implemented to spur food system sustainability, resilience and symbiotic food system relations in Kigali city and Rulindo district? Rwanda’s key policies that are already in place: •Rwanda Vision 2050: Green Growth and Climate Resilience economy: targets transforming Rwanda from a middle-income into a high-income status country •National Strategy for Transformation (NST1) (2017-2024): focusing on social, economic and good governance transfo... Read morermation •The Updated National Agricultural Policy (2018) •Rwanda Biodiversity Policy (2011) •The National Biodiversity Strategy and Action plan (NBSAP II) (2016) •The Food safety Policy •Agro-forestry Policy and Forestry Policy 2018 Incentives and mechanisms already in place: •The African Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Cold Chain is a facility that can be used to store food coming from Rulindo in order to have a more sustainable food system •Inclusive markets and off-farm opportunities can improve. This incentive is within MINAGRI and intended to improve sustainable food systems. Policies, incentives and mechanisms that can be implemented: •Policies that promote food system, climate resilience, water and energy efficiency, as well as biodiversity conservation •Food Safety and nutrition policy which is under development should address postharvest handling •Policy on sustainable food production which would prioritise irrigation systems, valorisation of marshlansd, agroecology and address barriers that have affected production levels such as soil fertility, integrated pest management, increase storage in the district to match production needs. •Policies and programmes focusing on market linkages and improved access to market •Policies, programmes and incentives to catalyse value addition, food packaging and processing in Rulindo district •Increased investment in water management systems in Rulindo to manage drought and floods cycles •Policies and incentives that promote access to inputs and finance especially for small-scale farmers •Capacity building, skills development and knowledge sharing among food system actors (sometimes in the local languages) •Farmer training to improve farmers’ knowledge of sustainable food production and markets. This can be done through farmer field schools •Agro-forestry should be promoted as a way of farming on hillsides to manage soil erosion. There is an initiative to do this using avocado trees instead of using non-food trees like Eucalyptus •Partnerships between different farmers: for example between piggery farmers and maize producers •Collaborative food governance: Catalyse action between different stakeholders to promote correct policies on the sectors Read less

The session highlighted key food system challenges both the City of Kigali and Rulindo district are contending with. These included price fluctuations and food losses (estimated to be about 30 to 40 percent) both of which significantly affect farmers. Transportation networks and infrastructure to facilitate food flows between both cities are also deficient. Environmental issues such as soil erosion, flooding, droughts as well as pests and diseases also constrain food production. Despite these challenges, the potential to achieve food system sustainability in both the City of Kigali and Rulindo... Read more districts is immense in the light of the opportunities inherent within the cities’ food systems. These opportunities include the relatively high production of some crops particularly vegetables, fruits and cassava, as well as the availability of marshland and irrigation water for increased production. The session emphasised the fact that there are enough policies in the country (albeit some can be improved). However, implementation needs to be improved. Some of the challenges in implementation relates to the lack of awareness of these policies and the fact that some of the policies are not translated to understandable language for some food system actors to be informed and to take advantage of the opportunities provided by the policies. In a similar vein, there is limited access to market information which negatively affects farmers. As a result, there is the need for awareness campaigns which must cut across all the food system actors. Participants also noted the need to invest in infrastructure development. Infrastructure which needs to be put in place or strengthened include among others, irrigation systems, storm water drainage systems, markets, transport infrastructure in order to better link the cities together and to reduce food waste, drying shelters and mobile dryers, as well as storage facilities. To mitigate against food loss and food waste, discussants suggested that there is the need to invest in storage infrastructure and to install cooling and refrigeration centres. Participants noted the importance of strengthening the linkages between urban areas and rural areas as well as between peri-urban areas and urban areas. Participants noted that symbiotic relations must be emphasised such that food systems relations are beneficial for both cities. Efficient food waste management strategies were also suggested including the conversion of food waste into organic compost and the valorisation of food waste. An integrated approach to food waste management needs to be put in place and this must cut across the entire food value chain. To enable the implementation foregoing, supportive legal and regulatory framework needs to be put in place. It is important also, according to the discussants, that the Action Plan for Food Waste Prevention and Management in the City of Kigali which has been developed in collaboration with FAO needs to be successfully implemented. Urban agriculture should also be seen as a source of food security and employment generation for people. Urban Agriculture has been officially incorporated into the Kigali conceptual master plan while the Kigali city government has also accepted the recommendation of the FAO to focus on urban agriculture. Nevertheless, a critical need to define and formally recognise urban agriculture in land use plans of urban areas. With poor people living in Kigali and Rulindo, there will be need to further support and strengthen urban agriculture programmes in order to achieve food security in both cities. Participants highlighted the need to focus on indigenous knowledge. In other words, in terms of planning for, and education about the food systems, it is important not to lose value of those knowledge and practices that are handed down culturally and historically. Investment in data management systems must also be prioritised, according to the participants. They noted that the ability to constantly evaluate progress towards achievement of food-related policies and programmes hinges on the collection, storage and synthesis of good data. The importance of collaborative food system governance also came to the fore during the discussion. Participants noted that governing the cities’ food systems should involve every food system actor who should collaborate to look at solutions to food system issues. Given that awareness about food system challenges and opportunities is a big constraint to food system resilience, the need for awareness and sensitization campaigns, not only for farmers, but also all other actors across the food value chain and within the food system was emphasised. It is important that actors are aware of policies and regulatory environment and also incentives and opportunities that they can take advantage of. Read less

The dialogue explored possibilities and opportunities for improving the resilience and sustainability of the food systems of Kigali and Rulindo district. Discussions moved beyond the short-term responses to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on Kigali and Rulindo’s food systems, to more long-term approaches for ensuring continued access to nutritious and safe food in the face of climatic shocks and stresses and other disruptions. It considered policy interventions that are necessary for promoting healthy diets, food and nutrition security in Kigali city and Rulindo district. It unpacked wa... Read moreys in which we might better link urban, peri-urban and rural food systems to ensure sustainability of these systems. Read less

Area that need further exploration is foreign economic relations. The current structure of the system prevents SMEs to influence the shape and direction of the foreign economic relations, which in a lot of cases have very strong influence on the market conditions for SMEs. That in light of sanctions, closed borders, discrimination based on market of origin etc. creates a significant barrier for a lot of SMEs, especially those heavily dependent on import and export.