The aim of this 5th edition of the forum is to bring together development experts, policy makers, financial experts, African Diaspora entrepreneurs and Diaspora communities to discuss the role and potentials of the African Diasporas, in finding solutions to the challenges of food insecurity and building theagrofood sector. It creates an opportunity to showcase the projects of African Diasporas, foster collaborations and create links to relevant resources and networks.

The 2021 African Diaspora Agrofood Forum will be the 5th edition of the Forum. Conferences willbe held online (via Zoom) on Friday 17th September and an exhibition fair of agrofood products by African entrepreneurs will be organised on Sunday 19th September at the Meise Botanic Garden,Bouchout Castle Meise, Belgium.

The theme of the 2021 Forum is Recovery, Resilience and Sustainability: African DiasporaAgrofood Entrepreneurship in a changing world.

Registration: https://coleacp-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_klqWY2_CR1q81zs7ZQl7vA

This theme reflects the global impact of theCOVID-19 pandemic and the aspirations of many for recovery and growth in a sustainable economy.As the world recovers and adjusts to the changes brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is of interest to know what policies are in place for entrepreneurs in the agrofood sector and how beneficial they are to African Diasporas entrepreneurs.

The contributions of the African Diaspora Entrepreneurs at the forum will also help stakeholders and experts to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic affected them and their plans for the future.

There will be four online sessions on Friday 17th September 2021: 

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The Food Bridge vzw is starting a new project ‘The Hope Circle’ subsidized by the ‘Connecting Brussels’ call for projects of the Vlaams Gemeenschapcommissie (VGC) office of  Pascal Smet.

Metropolitan cities can make some  people feel invincible even in the best of times, although  they are surrounded by so many people. With the covid restrictions many people are struggling to maintain social contacts and feel isolated. Thus we want to provide an opportunity for people ( especially those who  feel  that they are in the margins of society)  to connect again to the Brussels community, by not just sharing their stories but also by reading the stories from other people.

Our initiative creates an inter-generational and intercultural platform where  positive memories and stories from participants are shared. In all cultures, storytelling especially around meals is  a great way people build and maintain relationships, inspire,  encourage and pass wisdom across generations.

This platform will have three main ways of collecting information. With the ‘Stories on a plate’, people use any plate of their choice as the basis of their stories. The story could be about the plate itself,  the food in the plate or what the plate means to them especially during the Covid pandemic and lockdown. Their stories are shared on the platform with pictures of the plates with or without the individuals.  

The fact that everyone uses a plate  is already a connection but each plate is different although they serve the same purpose, just like their stories. Such exchanges and connections will encourage people and also show that their experience is recognized and validated too.

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