Foresight4Food and the Africa Foresight Academy

Foresight is a key tool that governments, private sector and civil society can jointly use to better understand future risks and opportunities in food systems, explore possible futures and to adapt - before crises hit. 

Foresight4Food Initiative 

In consultation with key actors, the Foresight4Food Initiative was established to support enhanced foresight and scenario analysis for global food systems.

• Current mobilising support for the Initiative is provided by the Open Society Foundations.
• Start-up funding for the Initiative was provided through the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), The Global Forum for Agricultural Research (GFAR), French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD)/University of Montpellier, and The University of Oxford.
• The initiative has support from institutions such as the CGIAR.
• 
  The Initiative continues is guided by Dr Patrick Caron and Professor Tim Benton.

Foresight4Food aims to provide a mechanism for better analysis and synthesis of key trends and possible futures in global food systems and to support more informed and strategic dialogue between the private sector, government, science and civil society. Development of the Initiative was encouraged by key international organisations, leading research institutes, development agencies and business
representatives who participated in a scoping meeting in Oxford in March 2017.

The Africa Foresight Academy (AFA)

The Africa Foresight Academy (AFA) is a network of foresight practitioners at continental, sub regional and country levels. AFA contributes to strengthening of capacity for foresight among professionals in African AR4D institutions and private sector through: i) sensitization ii) developing competencies in conducting foresight and interpretation of foresight results iii) offering technical assistance to enable regional and national organizations to participate in foresight initiatives and apply results from past /ongoing foresight

This virtual version of the Academy is hosted by FARA as a continental infrastructure for strengthening the institutional arrangements and the promotion of foresight activities on the continent in partnership with GFAR. FARA’s approach to foresight seeks to foster a proactive attitude for communities faced with changes by unveiling uncertainties and using them as a means for action. 

 The basis of foresight in agriculture in Africa is to facilitate forward thinking capacity on how innovation and knowledge can best help surmount the diverse challenges facing agriculture, to ensure that agricultural research and innovation are more responsive to future agri-food system and related development need.