Fair food and trade systems for Africa
Achieving sustainability, fairness, and justness in food systems requires a long-term commitment. We strive to bring more partners together to tackle these challenges through food convergence innovation, ensuring that Africa secures a fair share of the global market. Our vision is a future where Africa’s food system is sustainable, climate-neutral, and built on equity and justice.
The FCI4Africa project aims to empower small-scale, informal, and vulnerable actors in Africa’s agri-food value chain, helping them participate in trade within Africa, between Africa and the EU, and globally.
Using the Food Convergence Innovation approach, the project addresses key challenges such as fairness, justness, and climate neutrality in African products, ensuring a more sustainable and just food system holistically.
We explore how different farming practices – both traditional and organic – affect climate, biodiversity, and society. By analysing data from multiple food production chains across African countries, we gain insights into the real-world challenges of fairness, sustainability, and environmental impact.
By examining various African agricultural food chains and collaborating with businesses and entrepreneurs, we identify barriers and create strategies for food systems that benefit everyone. Our research helps align African agricultural products with international trade standards, making fair and climate-friendly food more accessible.
We assess current trade policies and test new methods to enhance trade efficiency while ensuring sustainability. By reviewing non-tariff measures (NTMs) and gathering insights from experts, we develop better ways to support environmental and social goals in African and EU trade relationships.
To help stakeholders verify and certify the fairness and sustainability of African food products, we are creating:
- A digital platform with best practices and guidelines for sustainable food production.
- Applications for tracking key product attributes like fairness, health impact, and sustainability.
- Analytical methods to evaluate high-risk products such as cocoa, coffee, palm oil, and soy.
- Specialised training courses to equip professionals with the skills needed to implement these tools.
We are testing new business models and tools in real-world conditions across Africa. Through cascade-funding, we facilitate the adaptation of tools to different environments and the creation of innovation hubs to support climate-friendly farming practices.
By partnering with initiatives in food safety, agroforestry, and urban agriculture, we foster knowledge exchange and create synergies that amplify our impact. Through joint events, research, and training, we ensure that our work contributes to a broader movement toward a just and sustainable food system.