African Indigenous Foodways

The document advocates for a transition from industrialised agriculture to African Indigenous Foodways (AIFs), which are rooted in traditional ecological knowledge and agroecological principles. It emphasises that knowledge co-creation between farmers and researchers is essential to overcome gaps in documentation and the 'epistemicide' of indigenous knowledge systems. The brief highlights the role of networks like the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA) and the Seed and Knowledge Initiative (SKI) in promoting seed sovereignty. It identifies significant funding gaps, noting that philanthropic support for agroecological transition is less than 1% of total philanthropic food and agriculture funding. The authors recommend that philanthropy shift toward community-led investment models, long-term trust-based funding, and support for participatory research to enhance climate resilience and biodiversity conservation.

• African Indigenous Foodways (AIFs) provide a sustainable alternative to industrialised agriculture by promoting food sovereignty, biodiversity conservation, and climate resilience through practices adapted to local environments with minimal external inputs.
• The transition to AIFs is hindered by several knowledge gaps, including the marginalisation of AIFs in food policy discourse, disruptions in generational knowledge transfer, and the 'epistemicide' of indigenous knowledge systems caused by the dominance of Western education.
• Knowledge co-creation—the collaborative exchange between stakeholders with different perspectives—is essential for adapting indigenous food systems to changing conditions, though it must balance scientific rigour with local relevance.
• Networks and platforms are critical for advocating seed sovereignty and protecting traditional seeds and culinary practices from globalisation and homogenisation.
• Philanthropic funding for agroecological transition is critically low; of the US$3.3 billion in annual philanthropic food and agriculture funding, only US$0.7 billion (less than 1% of the estimated US$1.3 trillion annual cost of transformation) supports agroecological approaches.
• Current philanthropic funding often reinforces unsustainable practices by channeling resources through corporations and standalone organisations rather than supporting the networks and platforms necessary for AIF transitions.
• AIFs contribute to climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation because indigenous crops and livestock are naturally adapted to local environments and typically have a lower carbon footprint than industrial agriculture.

APA

Odero, K., Abukutsa-Onyango, M., Yêyinou, L. E. L., Jeiyol, E. N., Chilinya, V., Bandanaa, J., & Malgas, R. (2025). African Indigenous Foodways. African Climate Foundation. https://africanclimatefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/801023_H-African-indigenous-foodways-WEB_r.pdf

Chicago

Odero, Kenneth, Mary Abukutsa-Onyango, Laura Estelle Loko Yêyinou, Elizabeth Nguwanger Jeiyol, Vladimir Chilinya, Joseph Bandanaa, and Rhoda Malgas. African Indigenous Foodways. African Climate Foundation, 2025. https://africanclimatefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/801023_H-African-indigenous-foodways-WEB_r.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Odero |first1=Kenneth |last2=Abukutsa-Onyango |first2=Mary |last3=Yêyinou |first3=Laura Estelle Loko |last4=Jeiyol |first4=Elizabeth Nguwanger |last5=Chilinya |first5=Vladimir |last6=Bandanaa |first6=Joseph |last7=Malgas |first7=Rhoda |title=African Indigenous Foodways |publisher=African Climate Foundation |date=2025 |url=https://africanclimatefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/801023_H-African-indigenous-foodways-WEB_r.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{odero2025african, author = {Odero, Kenneth and Abukutsa-Onyango, Mary and Yêyinou, Laura Estelle Loko and Jeiyol, Elizabeth Nguwanger and Chilinya, Vladimir and Bandanaa, Joseph and Malgas, Rhoda}, title = {{African Indigenous Foodways}}, institution = {African Climate Foundation}, year = {2025}, url = {https://africanclimatefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/801023_H-African-indigenous-foodways-WEB_r.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }