Future Plates

AfriFOODlinks
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  • Documentary
  • Series

Future Plates explores the future of food in Africa’s rapidly growing cities, asking a simple but urgent question: as Africa urbanises, what will we be eating? Across four episodes, the series looks beyond what is on our plates to the people, places, cultures and systems that determine how food reaches us and how it affects our lives. The series unpacks why good nutrition matters in the first 1,000 days of life, the value of local food traditions and knowledge passed between generations and why informal markets are important places of both trade and nourishment for millions across the continent. We also look at city governance mechanisms to understand how policy, planning, infrastructure and public services can help build healthier and more equitable food systems. At a time when Africa is experiencing the fastest urban growth in the world, the choices being made today will shape cities and food systems for generations to come. Future Plates brings together lived experiences and diverse voices of experts, practitioners, food systems actors, city officials, youth, academics and civil society to examine the challenges, opportunities and choices that will determine what Africa’s urban food future looks like.. Future Plates is an ARC production in partnership with AfriFOODlinks – a project funded by the European Union. Visit the AfriFOODlinks website for more information about the project: https://afrifoodlinks.org/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. Episode 1

    The Fork In The Road

    As Africa’s cities grow and diversify, the way food is produced and the way residents access and consume food is changing too. But what kind of food systems are we building for the future? This episode delves into the rapidly evolving relationship between cities, food and people in Africa, looking ahead to the choices that will influence urban food systems for generations to come. From the paradox of being both “stuffed and starved” to the vital role of informal food economies, the episode asks what it means to treat food as an urban issue, not simply an agricultural or rural one. It spotlights how urban planning, governance, infrastructure, climate resilience and everyday food practices all impact how cities feed themselves, while introducing different possible futures, from more inclusive and resilient food systems to increasingly fragmented and unequal ones. This first episode sets the stage for a series exploring the challenges, choices and opportunities at the heart of the city–food nexus. Future Plates is an ARC production in partnership with AfriFOODlinks – a project funded by the European Union.  Visit the AfriFOODlinks website for more information about the project: https://afrifoodlinks.org/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    The Fork In The Road

  2. Episode 2

    Fuel For The Future

    Africa’s children are the future of the continent. And as Africa’s population continues to grow and urbanise, the food they eat today will have consequences that reach far beyond childhood. In this episode, we consider what it takes to nourish Africa’s next generation, from the critical first 1,000 days of life to the food traditions and cultural values passed between generations. It looks at how food can be a source of love, connection, identity and community, while also revealing the profound inequalities that determine who has access to enough nutritious food. What will it take to create food systems and communities where every child has the chance to reach their full potential? Experts, food practitioners, city officials and teachers talk us through the lasting consequences of childhood malnutrition and stunting, and ask us to look beyond individual families to the wider systems and structural conditions that impact children’s health and access to nutritious food.  Future Plates is an ARC production in partnership with AfriFOODlinks – a project funded by the European Union.  Visit the AfriFOODlinks website for more information about the project: https://afrifoodlinks.org/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Fuel For The Future

  3. Episode 3

    The Markets That Feed Us

    From supermarket chains and shopping trolleys to bustling markets, food stalls and neighbourhood spaza shops, how we buy food is constantly evolving in Africa. Despite the rapid expansion of formal retail, informal food economies remain at the heart of how millions of urban residents access food every day. This episode takes us into the markets and informal trading spaces that feed African cities. It also takes a close look at the scale and importance of the informal sector and its influence on how food moves, is traded and reaches people. Beyond their economic role, these spaces are also deeply social and cultural, places where people gather and traditions are shared. Through the voices and experiences of traders and practitioners, the episode asks what could be lost if informal food economies are overlooked as cities transform. It also unpacks how cities can reshape food systems without compromising the livelihoods, knowledge, relationships and cultures that already help people access food every day.  As Africa’s cities grow, the episode considers what the future of food trade could look like, and why the markets already feeding millions may hold important lessons for building more inclusive, resilient and culturally rooted urban food systems. Future Plates is an ARC production in partnership with AfriFOODlinks – a project funded by the European Union.  Visit the AfriFOODlinks website for more information about the project: https://afrifoodlinks.org/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    The Markets That Feed Us

  4. Episode 4

    Food Governance

    The decisions local governments make today will determine whether the cities of tomorrow can provide everyone with access to nutritious food and support healthier, more equitable urban futures. This episode explores the role of urban governance in shaping the future of food in African cities, looking at how politicians, public officials and institutions can respond to the challenges created by rapid urbanisation, changing diets and growing food demand. Building healthier, more resilient food systems requires action across society, including collaboration between communities, civil society and local governments.  The episode asks what becomes possible when people and organisations working for change engage with those responsible for influencing policy, budgets, infrastructure and public services. From food policies and urban planning to public procurement and markets, it considers the many ways city governments can influence how food systems function and who they serve. It also highlights examples of governments already taking action, unpacking what it takes to turn recognition of food system challenges into meaningful, lasting change that benefits both people and the places they call home. Future Plates is an ARC production in partnership with AfriFOODlinks – a project funded by the European Union.  Visit the AfriFOODlinks website for more information about the project: https://afrifoodlinks.org/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Food Governance
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About

Future Plates explores the future of food in Africa’s rapidly growing cities, asking a simple but urgent question: as Africa urbanises, what will we be eating? Across four episodes, the series looks beyond what is on our plates to the people, places, cultures and systems that determine how food reaches us and how it affects our lives. The series unpacks why good nutrition matters in the first 1,000 days of life, the value of local food traditions and knowledge passed between generations and why informal markets are important places of both trade and nourishment for millions across the continent. We also look at city governance mechanisms to understand how policy, planning, infrastructure and public services can help build healthier and more equitable food systems. At a time when Africa is experiencing the fastest urban growth in the world, the choices being made today will shape cities and food systems for generations to come. Future Plates brings together lived experiences and diverse voices of experts, practitioners, food systems actors, city officials, youth, academics and civil society to examine the challenges, opportunities and choices that will determine what Africa’s urban food future looks like.. Future Plates is an ARC production in partnership with AfriFOODlinks – a project funded by the European Union. Visit the AfriFOODlinks website for more information about the project: https://afrifoodlinks.org/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    AfriFOODlinks
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    4
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © ICLEI Africa
  • Show Website
    Future Plates