E-course participants meet informally in Nairobi

The meeting was called by Shadrack Agaki and Wim Goris and started with an interactive quiz. Although mostly for fun, the quiz triggered good memories of the key concepts in food systems. The quiz had one winner: Careen, with Atula and Cassandra as runners-up.

You can play the quiz yourself via this Kahoot link (open until 31 dec) 

After the quiz, it was time to put the knowledge of food system transformation into the Kenyan perspective. An open discussion was held on the questions:

• How has the e-course helped you in your work? What can be next?
• How do you connect to Kenya's ongoing national pathway on food systems?

The e-course sparked new ways of thinking. Participants see and understand the bigger picture through the concept of food system transformation. Food and agriculture are namely at the centre of everything, and food system transformation is seen as part of the answer to climate change challenges. It is about connecting the different dots of development that are impacting the food system, the foundation of Kenya’s economy. 

The group also emphasised the importance of sharing this knowledge and skills with others. Some noted challenges in discussions on the food system concept  and in aligning it with the private sector’s perspective. Bushnell Mokeira phrased the need for knowledge sharing as follows: “The only way we make the food  system transformation impactful is by sharing this knowledge with everyone who has a role within the chain” 

Shadrack Agaki shared his insights on Kenya’s pathway to a sustainable food system. He emphasized that it is important for all participants of the e-course to unite because the e-course is an opportunity and a platform to meet different people and share different perspectives. This helps in building a narrative together about an issue that we all have in common: unsustainable food systems. “It is our role, as those who understand the food system transformation concept, to engage meaningfully in the formulation of policies” 

In Kenya, the conversation is not just left with words. This year, a food system transformation house was established, to unite people and be able to formulate the bigger picture together. Here the parable of the blindfolded people and the elephant comes in. Every person has their own perspective and is somewhere else at the elephant, or in the food system. It is all about gathering people with different backgrounds, but with a common interest in transforming the food system. That enables all to see the whole elephant, and in this case the bigger picture of food system transformation.

The constitution of Kenya allows for public participation in its legislative processes. For public participation to be meaningful, a holistic conversation about the transformation of the food system is needed, in which the formed food system transformation house can play a major role. When able to see the bigger picture and unite, it is possible to shape an influence on the policies and facilitate the transformation of Kenya’s food system.

All participants of the meeting expressed their interest in the food system transformation house, with the intent to drive meaningful change. Their motivation was there all along, but the e-course enabled them to talk in a broader narrative, tackle the arising issues, and find solutions together. Therefore, the completion of the e-course is only one step in the transformational change in the Kenyan food system, or as the participant Benson Kibiru phrased it: “Let us be champions of the food system transformations and be keen on explaining to others what it involves”