KENYA –  African Milling School is hosting a Summer School on Sustainable Food Systems which aims to  foster innovative solutions challenges to structural challenges that hinder Kenya’s ability to achieve sustainable food production and distribution.

The 10-day program is supported by Swiss technology group Buhler, seeds and pesticides supplier Sygenta Group, Aiducation International and the Swiss Study Foundation.

The program will focus on “Food systems: Pathways towards sustainability” and aims to bring together 15 students and alumni from the Aiducation program in Kenya, 15 students and grantees from the Swiss Study Foundation, as well as 3 young professionals each from Bühler and Syngenta.

Corporate experts and professors from the University of Nairobi and CETRAD will guide the participants with the focus being on implementing ideas in line with UN Sustainable Development Goal No. 2 (“Zero Hunger”) while ensuring the sustainability of local food systems in Kenya.

The participants will interact with industry professionals, farmers, and other actors to understand various approaches to address food system challenges.

In addition to in-depth academic exploration of food systems, the Summer School will offer participants insights into real food and agricultural production.

Moreover, a two-day innovation program will provide opportunities for participants to develop solutions to challenges in the food system.

“The program aims to develop the participants’ interpersonal, intercultural, and logical thinking skills, providing a network of mentors to support them during and after the program,” read a statement from Buhler.

“By being part of multi-disciplinary and cross-cultural team situations, participants will learn to think innovatively and collaboratively.”

The summer school comes at a time when Kenya’s food system is facing structural challenges that hinder its ability to achieve sustainable food production and distribution.

These challenges include poor infrastructure, inadequate financing, and limited access to information and technology.

Other factors include climate change, population growth, and urbanization, which exacerbate food insecurity and undermine the livelihoods of smallholder farmers.

By coming together, Aiducation International, Bühler Group, Syngenta Group, and the Swiss Study Foundation are creating a platform where the youth can brainstorm and develop solutions that could prove pivotal in building sustainable food systems in Kenya.  

“The ultimate goal is to foster innovative solutions to current challenges in Kenya’s food system by contextualizing the UN SDG to local food system sustainability pathways,” the statement concluded.

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