My Food is African: Rewiring the Agriculture Narrative Across the African Continent
Food sovereignty is a democratic system that puts the power of food production and distribution back in the hands of the people who produce and distribute it. Narratives around food production in developing countries—in particular, across the African continent—are fraught with legacies of colonialism, racism, and injustice that have translated into real issues. The prevailing narrative that Africa has a broken food system that must be repaired has resulted in wresting power out of the hands of the most intimate stakeholders. Farmers’ seeds are considered obsolete, and to be replaced by high-yielding varieties. Land managed by farmers is labeled unproductive, resulting in land grabbing and costly and polluting agrochemicals, among other issues.
My Food is African by the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA) is attempting to change this narrative. The initiative’s main goal is to create an environment where Africans can achieve food sovereignty by producing and consuming their own food. AFSA, based in Uganda, is implementing the initiative in 11 African countries, including Uganda, Tunisia, Senegal, Ethiopia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The My Food is African initiative works by shortening food supply chains to strengthen territorial markets and promote the consumption of culturally acceptable foods, thereby reducing transportation costs. It also limits the need for processing and packaging, significantly reducing plastic pollution. With agroecology at its core—the integration of traditional knowledge with scientific insights to create sustainable farming practices that work in harmony with nature—the initiative claims to produce food without chemical pesticides and fertilizers, major contributors to the climate crisis. Instead, it employs alternatives such as biofertilizers and biopesticides made from organic ingredients that do not harm the environment, along with practices like crop rotation, intercropping, mixed farming, and push-pull strategies that align with natural systems.
According to the initiative, they also stand out for their cultural component that encourages the revival of heritage, including the protection of sacred sites like forests, grasslands, and wetlands. My Food is African builds on the existing knowledge systems of small-scale farmers, particularly in seed and participatory crop breeding, thereby revitalizing diverse plant species and contributing to biosphere integrity. Indigenous crops and practices are highly adaptable to local climate conditions, ensuring a consistent and reliable food supply even amid climate change. Indigenous food production plays a crucial role in safeguarding biodiversity. Indigenous agricultural practices prioritize maintaining the balance of local ecosystems, ensuring soil health, conserving water, and preserving habitats.
The My Food is African initiative will be rolled out on four levels: local, regional, nationally, and across the continent. Still in its early phases, the initiative maintained that local activities may include establishing ecological community learning centers, conducting localized training sessions through champion farmers, organizing community seed banks, and hosting local seed and food fairs. The initiative also includes policy advocacy to create the climate for ground-level effective implementation, narrative change through communication to counter the green revolution narratives, and local and regional convenings to mobilize chefs and artists to support the initiative. At the other end is the continental scale; the initiative plans to be integrated into broader pan-African frameworks and institutions. The future is bright for agriculture across the African continent—and My Food is African is here to help write the path forward.
Learn more about My Food is African.
Written by Sarah Souli
Photos provided by My Food is African.
