The Milan Urban Food Policy Pact launches the 5th MUFPP Regional Forum in Africa. This event will be held from 17th to 19th July 2023, hosted by the city of Dakar, under the theme “Empowering City Officers for the Development of Food Strategies in Africa”. The forum is organized by the MUFPP Secretariat, in collaboration with Fondazione ACRA, the NGO Mani Tese, and with the support of the EU-funded project FOOD Wave, and of AICS, the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation.
The 5th MUFPP Regional Forum in Africa will bring together city officers from MUFPP African signatory cities for a 3-days capacity building training on tools for Food Policy development, while also engaging young climate activists from European and African cities.
The training tools have been developed with the scientific support of Politecnico of Milan, as part of Food Trails, a Horizon 2020 project, led by the city of Milan. Participants will gain valuable insights into identifying priorities and implementing actions to enhance their city’s food system.
The forum will also provide an opportunity for development agencies, international organizations and cities officers to exchange ideas on African Urban Food Systems opportunities, existing strategies and ways forward.
The contribution of African cities to urban food policy development is tangible, as demonstrated by the 90 best practices presented at the 6th edition of the Milan Pact Award, resulting in six African cities receiving an award. The number and variety of practices show how cities are increasingly at the forefront in tackling global challenges such as climate change, sustainable development, poverty reduction and social inclusion.
This is clear also looking at the landscape of blossoming projects and initiatives, such as the AfriFOODlinks project, which gathers 26 partners across the globe to improve food security and urban sustainability in more than 20 cities in Africa and Europe. Another notable initiative is the Food Wave, an EU DEAR project that aims to engage urban youth to create awareness about sustainable approaches to consuming and producing food across 17 countries worldwide, and which contributed to the realization of this Forum, allowing 35 young activists to participate in these three days of work.
Overall, these initiatives and the participation of African cities demonstrate the commitment to addressing food-related challenges and promoting sustainable development in urban areas. The 5th MUFPP Regional Forum in Africa will further foster collaboration and knowledge sharing to enhance food strategies and strengthen urban food systems across the continent.
