World Food Day 2024 – Right to Food for a Better Life and a Better Future

On 16 October, we celebrate World Food Day, a global event that raises awareness about hunger and promotes food security for all. This year’s theme, “Right to Food for a Better Life and a Better Future,” highlights the fundamental human right to access sufficient nutritious food for good health and productivity. At Future Africa, we resonate strongly with this message through our work in Sustainable Food Systems (SFS), led by Research Chair Professor Frans Swanepoel.

As a pan-African collaborative research platform of the University of Pretoria, Future Africa focuses on transformative research that brings together different disciplines and works closely with communities to contribute solutions to Africa’s biggest and most urgent challenges.

The Future Africa Research Chair in Sustainable Food Systems, launched in January 2022, demonstrates our commitment to leveraging African science for societal change by addressing food insecurity through collaborative efforts. Our Research Chair operates at a pan-African level, collaborating with global partners to set African agendas, build capacities, create networks of expertise and influence, and co-design and deliver impactful transformative research in and for Africa.

We partner with multi-sector institutions such as the University of Ghana, University of Nairobi, African Research Universities Alliance Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Food Systems (ARUA-SFS), Agricultural Research Council, Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis, University of Leeds, University of Ljubljana, University of Cape Town, University of Bologna, and the New Zealand Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre, among many others. These partnerships form a robust network dedicated to addressing food security challenges, aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Agenda 2063.

Additionally, we strongly emphasise capacity building, empowering early-career researchers through programmes like Climate, Land, Agriculture, and Biodiversity, (CLAB-Africa) and the Feed, Protect, Care Global Collaborative PhD Platform. These initiatives foster the development of a new generation of scientists equipped to work with policymakers and provide evidence-based solutions for food system transformation.

Our approach emphasises the importance of tailoring solutions to local contexts. For instance, we are involved in the Food and Livelihood Resilience from Neglected Plant Species in Western and Southern Africa (FORENS ) project, which explores neglected and underutilised plant species in Western Africa to enhance resilience in agro-ecosystems and support sustainable livelihoods. Furthermore, the Qinisa programme promotes collaborative research across Southern Africa, focusing on developing climate-resilient and low-emission food systems. This initiative effectively bridges the gap between science and policy, ensuring tangible outcomes for communities.

As we celebrate World Food Day 2024, we reaffirm our commitment to making the right to food a reality. Through transformative research, collaboration, and targeted capacity-building efforts, Future Africa strives to create a future where food systems are resilient, sustainable, and equitable for everyone.

TD