Roles of Government on Healthy and Sustainable Food Systems in Africa: Convivial Food System

Abstract

Despite huge global food production, global hunger and malnutrition are on the rise. Several attempts at improving food production geared towards combating food insecurity and malnutrition in Africa had been made, but with little success. Challenges abound in providing a healthy and sustainable food system. The United Nations (UN) has made some progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), though not much success has been registered because of the enormity of the damage already created by destructive capitalism modes of the food system. The neutralization of organic foods and the introduction of genetically modified (GM) seeds in supporting agricultural production in Africa promote unhealthy food. In line with SDGs 2, 3, 10, and 13, this paper explored the roles of governments on healthy and sustainable food systems: the convivial food system. Qualitative method through employing an explanatory sequential design was adopted. Data was collected using documentary analysis. Successful government-led food system reforms were reviewed. A convivial food system theory was employed in the study. The study found that countries of the world are still far away from achieving most of the SDGs concerning the provision of quality and quantity of food in a sustainable manner. The study recommends several roles of government on a healthy and sustainable food system, such as efforts towards reducing food insecurity among low-income earners, decolonizing the food system, encouraging entrepreneurs to engage in the provision of a healthy and sustainable convivial food system, a tax cut on convivial food production, and the pursuit of strategic training and development of human resources.