On 26th April 2023, Food Rights Alliance (FRA) in partnership with Rikolto and CONSENT under the Good Food for Cities (GF4Cs) organized her fourth Good Food Council (GFC) meeting held at Mbale Resort Hotel in the City of Mbale. The meeting was attended by 19 (10M, 9F) people as representatives from Mbale City Council, Vendors, and Media together with a team from Rikolto, CONSENT and FRA. The main objective of the meeting was to reflect on and develop a clear road map for the quarter for effective implementation of the GF4Cs interventions in Mbale City. Specifically, the meeting is meant to assess the implementation of the GF4Cs interventions and priority actions that can foster an inclusive enabling environment for food systems actors in Mbale City and; Generate a clear roadmap for the Good Food Council to guide the implementation of the GF4Cs interventions in Mbale City.
The meeting was guided by the GFC Chairperson who was technically in charge of the discussions on the key milestones released in the last two quarters in regard to the implementation of the Good Food for Cities Program in Mbale City. FRA and CONSENT presented key achievements, including the formation of a Good Food Council, which includes officials from the City Council, vendors, and media. The Council has held three meetings, implemented interventions such as training of vendors, and developed monthly action plans to guide the implementation of activities for the period of August and December 2022. Another milestone was the launch of the Good Food Parliament, a multi-stakeholder platform which aims to advocate for policies that improve access to safe and nutritious food for all in the City. The Parliament involves representatives from various sectors state and non-state promoting a healthy and sustainable urban food system.
During the discussions, key action points were identified including the need to clarify the roles of stakeholders and harmonizing plans for different programs in Mbale City. It was also suggested that a Memorandum of Understanding be signed between FRA and Mbale City Council to formalize their operations and commitment to the Good Food for Cities agenda. Currently, FRA is working closely with the Acting Head of Production at the City Council to finalize the process. Key recommendations were also highlighted to guide the finalization of the Quarterly action plan for the GFC including the need for Rikolto and Partners to conduct an inception meeting on all projects implemented in Mbale to harmonize a general action plan with clear roles of stakeholders, improve on the communication of what is being done in the City for other stakeholders to replicate what is being done in the City.
Overall, GF4Cs Program is implemented in the Cities of Mbale and Kampala aiming to help cities implement sustainable, fair, and healthy food systems through a food systems approach. It aims to create local coalitions of businesses, consumers, and other actors in the food system to transform urban food environments for better consumption of healthy and nutritious food. Currently, interventions are focused on improving Mbale City as a Model City in Uganda using the Good Food for Cities strategies and approaches for creating sustainable, fair, and healthy food systems. Partners aim at fostering the development and implementation of policies and practices in Mbale City that can be replicated in other cities in Uganda and beyond, contributing to more sustainable and equitable food systems globally.
By Brain Wamboka
Head of program quality and partnerships