The Food Foresight Transformation Systems (FFTS) programme is collaborating with Nakuru county government in planning strategies for the future food structures in the county.
The Head of Food Foresight Ms. Joyce Nyamweya while speaking at a Nakuru hotel Thursday said the platform aimed at creating a proactive approach to addressing future food related challenges by ensuring that policies and strategies were better aligned with long-term goals and were adaptable to changing circumstances.
She said Foresight for food refers to the systematic exploration of future scenarios and trends in the food system to anticipate and prepare for potential challenges and opportunities.
She said the approach involved understanding the complex interplay of factors such as population, policy changes that impact food production, distribution and consumption.
Ms. Nyamweya noted that it’s important to develop multiple plausible future scenarios to explore how different factors might interact and impact the food system in the country.
Emphasizing the importance of trend analysis, she said the current developments that could influence the future of food were consumer preferences, advancements in agriculture technology, and shifts in global trade patterns.
She observed that involving a wide range of stakeholders, including farmers, policymakers, scientists, and consumers would assist the experts in gathering diverse perspectives and insights.
Also, she said evaluating the potential impacts of different scenarios on food security, nutrition, environmental sustainability, and economic visibility was of paramount importance for the future security of the country.
Giving an example of Nakuru County, she said it heavily relied on smallholder farmers, who contributed a great percentage of the county’s food supply. However, crop yields have consistently fallen below population requirements in the recent past, she noted.
Chief Officer for Resource Mobilization Ms. Alice Abuki, who represented the county highlighted the importance of foresight analysis in building resilience and improving decision-making processes.
By Veronica Bosibori
