Urban Food Governance at the Subnational Scale

The document highlights the challenges facing African subnational governments in managing urban food systems due to rapid urbanisation, limited authority, and fragmented policy frameworks. It argues that while local governments often lack explicit mandates and funding for food security, they are critical for building climate resilience and social equity. The brief recommends that philanthropic investment focus on multi-stakeholder platforms (MSPs), capacity building for local actors, and the institutionalisation of food councils. It specifically proposes four actionable funding opportunities, including a South-South learning lab and the expansion of the AfriFOODlinks network, to transition urban food systems toward agroecological principles.

• African cities generally lack effective policy frameworks for managing urban food systems because subnational governments often have limited authority and resources, with key budget and policy decisions remaining centralised at the national level.
• Rapid urbanisation in Africa is primarily occurring in smaller cities with fewer than 500,000 residents, which increases pressure on local governments to manage interconnected issues including hunger, poverty, and climate change.
• Climate change is expected to displace over 105 million Africans by 2050, which threatens food systems and increases the necessity for effective governance for the urban poor in vulnerable areas.
• Urban food governance in Africa is characterised by fragmentation and poor coordination, often resulting in conflicting mandates and a lack of centralised agencies to coordinate food systems across government levels.
• Philanthropic funding for cities often prioritises energy and water infrastructure while neglecting food systems; furthermore, short project cycles can depoliticise food security by addressing immediate needs rather than structural causes.
• Effective transition to sustainable urban food systems requires the use of multi-stakeholder platforms (MSPs) and the institutionalisation of food councils to ensure local government ownership and budget integration.

APA

Metelerkamp, L., Swanepoel, S., & Nakalila, S. (2025). Urban Food Governance at the Subnational Scale. African Climate Foundation. https://africanclimatefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/801023_K-Subnational-food-governance_WEB-1.pdf

Chicago

Metelerkamp, Luke, Stefanie Swanepoel, and Sara Nakalila. Urban Food Governance at the Subnational Scale. African Climate Foundation, 2025. https://africanclimatefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/801023_K-Subnational-food-governance_WEB-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Metelerkamp |first1=Luke |last2=Swanepoel |first2=Stefanie |last3=Nakalila |first3=Sara |title=Urban Food Governance at the Subnational Scale |publisher=African Climate Foundation |date=2025 |url=https://africanclimatefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/801023_K-Subnational-food-governance_WEB-1.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{metelerkamp2025urban, author = {Metelerkamp, Luke and Swanepoel, Stefanie and Nakalila, Sara}, title = {{Urban Food Governance at the Subnational Scale}}, institution = {African Climate Foundation}, year = {2025}, url = {https://africanclimatefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/801023_K-Subnational-food-governance_WEB-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }