Following recommendations from the African Diaspora Agro Food Forum 2018 and a workshop at Tropentag 2018, which focused on African Diaspora food market and linking African Diaspora agro food entrepreneurs to research and SMEs, The Food Bridge is setting up a database of African Diasporans active in the agro food sector .
This is neccessary for creating the right synergy, to galvanize an integrated approach to African Diaspora input in the development of the agro food sector. Links between research and entrepreneurship will be better put into optimal use. it will also enable dialogues between the different African Diasporas in this sector and also with governments, global agencies, NGOs, policy makers working towards a sustainable development in Africa.

Register here: https://goo.gl/forms/feyvBBC8SFgTtSNn2

The African Diaspora Agro Food Forum 2018, will be coming up on the 25th of April 2018 at the Brabantzaal, Bouchout Castle Botanic Castle Meise Belgium.

The 2018 Amsterdam symposium on the history of food will be on the 16th and 17th of November 2018. This year's theme is - Body and Soul: examining the historical relationship between nutrition, health, and culture. 

Find below the conference abstract from the event page -  https://www.aanmelder.nl/ashf2018

 "The act of ingestion ensures our intimate relationship with food. This literal ‘incorporation’ has implications that go far beyond basic physicality: it is precisely in the corporeal sphere that the cultural significance of our food habits is on display. Crucial to the connection between food and body is the concept of control. State institutions, medical professionals, and spiritual teachers have prescribed and proscribed dietary behaviour, exercising what Michel Foucault has termed ‘biopower’, in an attempt to regulate the nourishment of populations. Such nutritional advice has often been a form of moral guidance: to authorities like doctors and religious leaders, public health was a medical and an ethical issue. Corporations have made similar persuasion efforts, often aided by health gurus and sportspersons – from 19th-century fruitarians to 21st-century Instagram influencers advertising their ‘killer’ bodies. By conceptualizing the body as a machine in need of ‘input’, they increasingly sold consumers the prospect of total control over their health and wellbeing. 

Yet the public has the agency to modify and contest existing food regimes. By narrativizing the fundamental everyday practice of food consumption, individuals fashion eating – and not-eating – into a performance, thereby inextricably linking these acts to personal identity. Their pursuit for healthy and inspiring lifestyles can lead to greater self-care, but can also encourage problematic body/food mindsets, such as anorexia or orthorexia. No wonder that, since ancient times, the notion of a powerful connection between psychological and physical health has been deployed by spiritual leaders to promise audiences control over their desires and appetites. Hence it is especially in the context of the body that the cultural relevance of food can be explored".

Venue: Aula of the University of Amsterdam
Singel 411, 1012 XM Amsterdam.

Price:

Early Bird (until 1 september):  75 euro

Regular: 90 euro

Student: 45 euro

Friend of the Special Collections of the University of Amsterdam: 40 euro

A Workshop on 'Edible insects for food, feed and food security', is being organized in collaboration with the Royal Museum for Central Africa, Meise Botanic Garden and BigPicnic on the 20th of March 2018. (program included).

Apart from staff from the Botanic Garden, the Africa Museum and also RBIN (Royal Belgian Institute for Natural Sciences), we hope to reach people and organisations from the African Diaspora community, as the workshop will be focusing on both the Belgian and the African context, with as much interaction and exchange of knowledge as possible.

The workshop will take place in the CAPA-building (3rd floor, room 33), Leuvensesteenweg 17, Tervuren.

The programme:
13:00 – 13:30 Welcome. B. Verbergt, Operational Director Public oriented services, Royal Museum for Central Africa.
13:30 – 13:45 Regulations concerning production, processing and use of edible insects. Speaker to be decided.
13:45 – 14:15 Possible methods for discrimination of insects versus marine arthropods in processed animal proteins. Pascal Veys, CRA-W.
14 :15 – 14 :45 Presentation of RMCA projects on edible insects in Africa. Patricia Mergen, Royal Museum for Central Africa.
14 :45 – 15 :15 Break with insect tastings.
15 :15 – 15 :45 : Meise Botanic Garden and the BigPicnic project: edible insects, consumers acceptance and food security. Jutta Kleber, Meise Botanic Garden
15 :45 – 16 :30 Science café on edible insects for food security

Registration is now open for the 2018 Global Diaspora week opening ceremony, which will be held at the European parliament in Brussels Belgium. Organized by the African Diaspora Network Europe (ADNE) and partners. This year's theme is “#Digital #Diaspora: Boosting the Digital Agenda and #Innovation in Development”. This event will hold on the 5th of October 2018. Here is a link for more details -http://www.globaldiasporaweek.eu/

The application is now open for the 2018 call for projects on "Sustainable Technologies for Africa". Entries will be accepted from 1st February to the 2nd of March 2018. This is an initiative of Ondernemers voor Ondernemers,The African Diaspora Projects Initiative and the Vlaamse Instelling voor Technologisch Onderzoek (VITO). 

Here is a link to the online application form - https://goo.gl/forms/ETFNOiajbB60UWO42

The Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) is a network of 85 Universities in 35 African countries is pleased to announce the 2018 RUFORUM Young African Entrepreneurs Competition (RUYAEC). The 2018 RUFORUM Young African Entrepreneurs Competition (RUYAEC) whose overall purpose is to catalyse entrepreneurship through promotion of business innovation and provision of seed funding to young entrepreneurs with creative and innovative business ideas among African youth. RUYAEC invites young (<35 years) African entrepreneurs and incubates to compete for 10 awards to show case their innovations, enterprises and business concepts and propositions.

All applications should be submitted through the www.ruforum.org/younginnovators/

Enquiries

For any enquiries do contact

Dr. Egeru Anthony (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ) and Dr. Sylvanus Mensah (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

“Garden gossips” is an online platform to promote an  initiative of the BigPicnic Project (a horizon 2020 EU project of Botanic Garden Meise), The Food Bridge vzw, The Forgotten Green Heroes and FAAB vzw. The aim of this initiative is to provide a platform to encourage and support African Diasporans to grow their own vegetables and crops.

Living in diaspora communities, many especially the younger generation  are  distanced from the sources of their food which is not the case in Africa. Growing some of what we eat is not just good for us but also for the environment. By growing your own food, you have a family friendly activity that also guarantees you of fresh crops, grown with your interest at heart.

For those who are missing that connection to the land, this is an opportunity to be part of a network of experts, enthusiasts and also beginners. You can ask questions or share best practice especially about growing African vegetables and crops.

For more information see this link - https://www.facebook.com/groups/2222346021325577/

contact

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The Francophone Africa Business Forum is coming up on the 19th of June 2018 at the Hague Netherlands. Over 150 agri-entrepreneurs from Francophone Africa will attend the FAB Forum and also are looking for expertise, equipment, seeds, cold stores and other business opportunities. The full list of companies is available on the fabforum.eu website.

There will be different workshops and experts sharing their insights from different agribusiness sectors. More information is on the organizer's website

Food production impacts on our environment and also needs the input of diverse resources. As you shop and cook this season, do it with a thought for those who spend so much resources producing the food and also those who will go hungry for lack of food. Do not waste food!!!!!! Enjoy your holidays.