The FoSTr Programme

Supporting Participatory Foresight Processes in Africa, Asia and the Middle East

Foresight for Food Systems Transformation

FoSTr provides a country support facility for food systems foresight and scenario analysis. The country-led and multi-actor foresight process aims to assist national food systems transformation. It supports the dialogue, analysis and understanding necessary for co-creating food systems of the future that are sustainable, healthy, equitable and resilient. The Programme will be implemented in five focus countries. FoSTr also supports the global networking and knowledge sharing activities of Foresight4Food.

What does FoSTr offer?

  • Support for organising national food system foresight processes with broad stakeholder involvement
  • Opportunities for enhancing the capability of research institutions, government agencies, and community organisations to facilitate and support food systems foresight processes
  • Access to better ‘futures knowledge’ on food systems for policy makers and other decision makers
  • Insights into options and pathways for food system transformation
  • Practical methods and tools for facilitating food systems analysis and foresight processes
  • Multi-stakeholder engagement and learning informed by access to data, use of computer modelling, and graphic presentation of critical information
  • A mechanism for countries to share experiences and learn from each other’s experiences
  • Through the Foreisght4Food initiative, a global community of practice for providers and users of food systems foresight

Implementation and funding

FoSTr operates under the umbrella of the Foresight4Food Initiative. The Programme has been funded by the Netherlands through the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). It will be delivered by members of the Foresight4Food network with National institutions supported to deliver in country work.

The Programme will be managed on behalf of Foresight4Food by the University of Oxford’s Environmental Change Institute (ECI) in partnership with Wageningen University and Research and will collaborate with initiatives of the CGIAR, the Rome Based Agencies (IFAD, FAO, WFP) and other groups working on food systems transformation. In Africa, the reach of FoSTr will be extended through a partnership between Foresight4Food and the Forum for Agriculture Research in Africa (FARA), under the umbrella of the Africa Foresight Academy.

How will FoSTr work at the country level?

FoSTr will be responsive to the needs and priorities of the focus countries and work collaboratively with other in-country initiatives. It will provide technical support and financial resources for local institutions to organise and facilitate foresight and scenario analysis processes with actors from across the food system. FoSTr will operate over three years from mid 2022. The first year of work will support overall country level food systems analysis and foresight. The later years will use the approach to focus on priority local and national issues for bringing about food systems change.

FoSTr Group Members

The FoSTr programme is manage and supported by the following members.

Initiative Lead
Jim Woodhill

Jim Woodhill is a Senior Consultant with the University of Oxford’s Environmental Change Institute co-leading the Foresight4Food Initiative and also working as an independent consultant. He is a specialist on inclusive agribusiness, rural development, food security and multi-stakeholder partnerships…

Country Facilitator FoSTr Programme
Just Dengerink

Just Dengerink is a Food Systems Advisor at Wageningen Centre for Development Innovation and country facilitator for the Foresight4Food FoSTr programme, coordinating participatory scenario and foresight processes in the focus countries.

Facilitator FoSTr Programme
Herman Brouwer

Herman Brouwer is a specialist on multi-stakeholder collaboration in agriculture, food and nature, working with WCDI at Wageningen University & Research. He’s responsible for the overall delivery of the Foresight4Food Initiative…