Alongside other Leading African Women in Food fellows, I was privileged to attend the African food systems forum summit in Tanzania. African Food changemakers made this happen so that we could meet other women and other people in the African food chain.
There were chefs, policy makers, manufacturers, entrepreneurs and storytellers like myself.
Me on a panel discussing how to amplify women in food and how to better market African food.
There was a focus on adapting Africa’s food systems for climate change and an interesting point made that we are the only continent that doesn’t eat our own food, choosing instead to eat imported food that can survive a ‘nuclear war’.
Tanzania is currently the 3rd largest producer of Cashew nut in the world
A beautiful display of Tea made in Tanzania
Regina Kapinga, Doctor of Agronomy spoke to us about a range of things and highlighted the need to have unwavering passion in your work.
Von Braun a Professor at the Center for Development Research (ZEF), Bonn University & an AGRA Board Member mentioned that Africa’s food is already nutrition dense and climate resilient because we eat (or used to eat) ‘roots, grass and insects.’ There was a strong case being made for us to embrace indigenous foods.
Nutritious seaweed
There weren’t just items on display, there was culture too.
Coffee the Ethiopian way
And wine made in Tanzania