The Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) has officially launched the Quality Criteria for Food Systems Foresight in Africa, marking a significant milestone in strengthening anticipatory governance across the continent.
The Guide was developed under FARA’s leadership in partnership with the Foresight4Food Initiative and the University of Oxford, with valued support from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC).
Speaking at the launch, FARA’s Executive Director, Dr Aggrey Agumya, emphasised that Africa’s agrifood systems are navigating intensifying climate variability, demographic shifts, technological change, evolving trade dynamics, and geopolitical uncertainty. These interconnected pressures require a move beyond reactive planning toward structured, long-term, systems-based thinking.
He noted that foresight is no longer optional, but a strategic necessity for effective implementation of the Post-Malabo Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) agenda and broader continental development priorities.
The Quality Criteria Guide provides a practical framework to enhance the rigour, inclusivity, transparency, and policy relevance of foresight processes. It establishes standards to strengthen the design, implementation, evaluation, and institutional embedding of foresight within decision-making systems across national, regional, and continental levels.
FARA expressed its sincere appreciation to IDRC for its catalytic funding support and confidence in advancing high-quality foresight practice in Africa. The organisation also acknowledged the intellectual collaboration and methodological rigour contributed by the Foresight4Food Initiative and the University of Oxford.
The launch signals not the conclusion of a project, but the beginning of a broader continental effort to institutionalise foresight as a permanent feature of Africa’s development architecture.
The Quality Criteria for Food Systems Foresight in Africa is now available for download:
https://aaspace.org/items/d29bdfae-08e4-4b5f-9c47-ac5a942b1dd9
FARA encourages policymakers, researchers, regional bodies, and development partners to adopt and institutionalise these criteria to strengthen resilient, inclusive, and future-ready African food systems.
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