Title : My pot is empty: Transforming Africa’s food future through climate, culture, social research, and environmental integration
Abstract:
Across Africa, the empty pot is more than a metaphor—it is a stark reminder of the daily struggles of food insecurity, climate vulnerability, and social inequity. The image of an empty pot captures both the urgency of hunger and the possibility of renewal. It calls us to confront the intertwined realities of climate change, cultural traditions, social structures, and environmental degradation that shape agricultural systems and determine who has access to food, resources, and decision-making power. This keynote explores how interdisciplinary research can transform Africa’s food future by bridging climate science, cultural knowledge, social inquiry, and environmental stewardship. Climate change is altering rainfall patterns, intensifying droughts, and destabilizing ecosystems, while cultural practices and social dynamics influence resilience, adaptation, and equity. Research that isolates these dimensions’ risks overlooking the complexity of lived realities. Instead, an integrated approach recognizes agriculture as a social, cultural, and ecological system—one that requires inclusive solutions rooted in both scientific rigor and human experience. By reframing the empty pot as a vessel of possibility, this talk highlights pathways for resilience: embedding gender and social equity into climate adaptation strategies, elevating cultural knowledge alongside scientific innovation, and ensuring environmental integrity as the foundation of sustainable food systems. The keynote will showcase examples of how interdisciplinary collaboration can generate transformative insights, moving beyond technical fixes to holistic solutions that honor Africa’s diversity and resilience. Ultimately, filling the empty pot is not only about increasing yields or improving technologies- it is about reimagining agriculture as a shared human endeavor. It is about cultivating futures where African food systems are resilient, inclusive, and sustainable, and where the empty pot becomes a symbol of hope, possibility, and transformation.
