Food policy and its role in creating sustainable food systems in East Africa : understanding the relationship between stakeholders and the effectiveness of policies using maize as the model value chai

Abstract

Food systems are made up of highly diverse producers and consumers connected by a network of markets that function in both macro and micro contexts. This research aimed to understand the role that food policies play when it comes to sustainable food value chains, focusing on the stakeholders’ integration in policies. The research in this thesis focused on determining stakeholder inclusion in current agri-food policy making and whether the inclusion has an effect on the efficacy of the policy. To allow for a comparative study, two countries in the East African region (Kenya and Tanzania) and one common food product value chain (maize) was used. Progression of the research began with the analysis of current food related policies and the policymaking process using critical interpretative synthesis. This step aided in establishing the standing of stakeholders and sustainability within the policies and the policymaking process. Viewpoints of stakeholders concerning these policies and the impact on the food value chain was explored with the help of social life cycle assessment with data collected through interviews and secondary data collections. Expert based interviews provided the overview of the importance of the policies, their impact, successes, and shortcomings. The findings of the analytical steps came together in a comparative study that established the awareness of the policies and the policy making procedures within the stakeholders of the East Africa region, the importance of sustainability in both policy and action programs and nuances that needed to be covered such as gender and cultural considerations as well as power dynamics in the food chain. Combined, the results display the importance of stakeholders within policy making and how their awareness and understanding of the policies lead to effectiveness of the policies and what this means for the establishment of food secure systems in the region.