Paper short abstract:

This paper highlights urban food systems research from East Africa conducted by Agha Khan University and the University of the Fraser Valley. Mixed method approaches have led to better understandings of urban food security. The viability of intra-urban food systems will be discussed.

Paper long abstract:

Food security dynamics in East African cities are changing and the ways in which food systems are governed need to change as well. Rapid urbanization is stretching existing food systems and growing cities are grappling with the challenge of meeting food and nutrition security for their inhabitants. In addition, industrializing food supply chains is changing food consumption behaviors and contributing to environmental degradation. In this regard, there is need for a holistic ecosystems-based approach for urban-rural/regional food systems that guarantees food security among urban households, contributes to poverty alleviation, and integrates spatial planning to strengthen urban resilience. Agha Khan University (AKU), in Nairobi Kenya, is collaborating with the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) in Abbotsford, Canada to contribute to sustainable urbanization in East Africa by promoting visibility and awareness on resilient urban food systems to urban authorities, local urban residents, civil society, business, and academic institutions. These projects seek to engage, exchange experiences, identify best practice, and develop, in a participatory way, innovative policy instruments and tools. This paper will detail the current efforts of AKU and the projects in which UFV student interns have been actively involved. The discussion will highlight the scope(s) of the project, initial research findings and methodologies, and future directions which can promote food security, increased work opportunities, and economic equality for many East Africans.