Current urban food governance and planning in Africa

This chapter provides an overview of the governance of urban food systems in Africa, and sets the scene for the following five chapters, which look at particular aspects of the governance of urban food systems in each of the case study cities. Understanding the existing governance of urban food systems is an essential precondition for attempting to improve governance processes so as to contribute to enhanced urban food security. A particularly important aspect of governance with regards to urban food systems is urban planning. Problems with governance and urban planning processes are arguably a key contributor to the high levels of food insecurity in African cities. As Porter et al. (2007: 116) suggest, there are complex processes and rules shaping food systems in Africa, and “we need to know more about how these formal and informal regulatory systems operate if we are to improve access to markets and thus enhance urban food supplies and also secure income and livelihoods.” The New Urban Agenda, adopted by the United Nations (UN) in 2016, similarly recognises the need for strengthening governance, strengthening food system planning and “improving food security and nutrition” in urban areas (UN 2016: 11). In this chapter, drawing on reviews of the food and governance literature on Africa and on fieldwork in Kenya, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, I provide a broad overview of the impact of governance and planning processes on urban food systems in Africa. First of all, I discuss the concept of “governance”. I then discuss the linkages between urban governance/planning and urban food systems in Africa, with a focus on four key aspects of governance of urban food systems: the governance of the production of food in and around cities, with a focus on urban and peri-urban agriculture; the governance of food distribution; the governance of formal and informal food retail; and the governance of food safety, both in terms of the safety of the food itself and the safety of food production and preparation processes. In general, governance and planning processes have an ambiguous impact on urban food systems and urban food security, and governance and planning processes in relation to food need to be made more effective (although it should be noted that urban governance dynamics and urban food systems vary considerably from country to country, and also within 6 Current urban food governance and planning in Africa