NGFP impact story

The future of food systems in Africa through the eyes and hands of farmers

Africa in 2050 is a continent of abundance where everyone has access to real, organic, healthy food. Food is the cheapest commodity in this new green economy. Farmers are well paid and participate in public decision-making, food chains are efficient, and governments and technology enable food security.

This is the vision of 25-year-old Fisayo Oyewale, a Nigerian farmer and entrepreneur who runs an agribusiness empowering youth and women. She learned the value of cultivating a garden – to simultaneously eat well and make a profit – from her father, and now Fisayo is changing narratives associating small food producers with poverty.

Fisayo Oyewale

As a Next Generation Foresight Practitioners (NGFP) fellow, Fisayo has found a network of like-minded people. Together with Shem Omasire from Kenya and Chiagozie Udeh from Nigeria, Fisayo conducted participatory foresight exercises with ten farmers from Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, and South Africa. This project was awarded $1,500 USD through the School of International Future Impact Fund.

Through these exercises, farmers developed both utopian and dystopian scenarios around the future of food systems, highlighting issues that must be urgently addressed. Conversations ranged from individual concerns to the climate crisis, to how to bridge the gap between the present and preferred futures. “I think the beauty of using these tools is that they help you go beyond yourself and be very critical and analytical while dreaming big,” says Fisayo.

The NGFP fellowship has been pivotal for Fisayo, equipping her with foresight skills and valuable connections. Fisayo says, “This fellowship has not only elevated my capacity to create meaningful impact but has also unlocked numerous opportunities for personal and professional growth.”

Now she dreams of expanding the project, working with farmers, governments and entrepreneurs to ensure the future of food systems chosen by farmers comes true by 2050.