Follow the Food: kick-off workshops

As an official launch of the Follow the Food programme in the three countries of focus (Ethiopia, Kenya and Ghana), the research consortium members organized a kick-off workshop in each of the three countries in November and December 2015.

The challenge of establishing a global food system that can deliver sustainable and equitable food security for a projected 9 billion people by 2050 has triggered a strong influx of foreign investments in African agribusiness. However, it is still largely unclear how these investments in global food supply affect food security at the local level in recipient countries. How can foreign agribusiness investments in Africa foster inclusive and sustainable local development, including increased food security, for smallholders and poor populations? This is the central question of the ‘Follow the Food’ research programme.

As an official launch of the programme in the three countries of focus (Ethiopia, Kenya and Ghana), the Follow the Food research consortium members organized a kick-off workshop in each of the three abovementioned countries geared to:

1. Consult and discuss the research programme with local representatives from private sector, government, civil society, and academia (multi-stakeholder meetings, day 1);
2. Digest the input from day 1 in a research consortium meeting (day 2);
3. Have interviews with local PhD candidates (day 2);
4. Visit local agribusiness project (Meru Greens Horticulture Limited, Kenya, day 3).

Please download the PDF with notes from the three kick-off workshops.