The Power of Foresight: A Collective Leap Toward Transforming Africa’s Food Systems

24 July 2025. The Power of Foresight: A Collective Leap Toward Transforming Africa’s Food Systems

Held under the theme “The Power of Foresight – Using Scenario Analysis to Drive Collaborative Action for Food Systems Transformation,” the gathering brought together over 20 dynamic participants at the Golden Tulip Hotel. Among them were foresight practitioners, Monitoring, Evaluation and learning (MEL) experts, Knowledge Management Experts, policymakers, researchers, and institutional representatives drawn from the CGIAR, sub-regional institutions, universities and a wide range of foresight practitioners from across Africa and beyond.

Jointly organized by the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) and the Foresight4Food

Initiative, with generous support from Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC), the event marks a major milestone in a two-year action research project aimed at co-developing quality criteria and evaluation approaches for using foresight as a strategic tool in transforming Africa’s food systems.

Participants examined how foresight can be made more inclusive and impactful, particularly by elevating the roles of youth and women and drawing from Africa’s rich Indigenous knowledge systems. They emphasised that African traditional knowledge, rooted in oral traditions, spirituality, and local values, should be acknowledged and respected within foresight methodologies.

Another key highlight was the emphasis on the role of knowledge management in capturing and

utilizing these indigenous assets. Participants urged that foresight frameworks should not simply replicate external models, but instead reflect Africa’s own knowledge ecosystems, drawing from a blend of traditional wisdom and modern scientific insights. Digital transformation was celebrated as a key enabler, especially in expanding access to scenario planning tools, simulation models, and collaborative learning platforms that foster foresight literacy and drive collective decision-making.

• These reflections will not only enrich the emerging M&E Guide that the project aims to produce but also build shared ownership among practitioners and decision-makers across the continent. The knowledge and outputs generated will be carried forward to the broader UNFSS+4 Summit deliberations, ensuring that African voices, experiences, and priorities remain central in shaping the global future of food systems foresight.Join the Foresight Community of Practice https://faraafrica.community/fara-net/afa/join
• Images from Workshop: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCnDF9