Blue Economy, Bold Ideas: How the African Food Fellowship is reimagining food systems in Kenya

As Kenya grapples with the pressing challenges of hunger, poverty, and climate change, a beacon of hope is emerging in the form of the African Food Fellowship. This innovative initiative is nurturing a new generation of leaders equipped to build climate-resilient food systems and tackle food insecurity with sustainable, inclusive solutions.

Jointly implemented by Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands and Wasafiri Consulting, with support from the IKEA Foundation, the fellowship offers a world-class 10-month leadership program. Since its launch in 2021, the program has operated in Kenya and Rwanda, bringing together professionals across sectors—government, civil society, academia, small businesses, and finance—under one umbrella of transformation.

Applications for Cohort 5 were recently launched at the fellowship’s Nairobi office, introducing new thematic areas aligned with the latest continental agenda. Brenda Mareri, Country Lead for the African Food Fellowship, explains:

“To align with the Kampala Declaration adopted in January 2025, we have updated our focus areas to Horticulture for Inclusive Markets, Blue Economy for Food, and Agri-Finance. The declaration outlines a 10-year strategy (2026–2035) under the post-Malabo Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) to build resilient and sustainable agri-food systems across Africa.”

Currently, the fellowship boasts 116 fellows across four cohorts. With the incoming 40 fellows in Cohort 5, the network is expanding, growing into a continental force for food systems change.

Ledama Masidza and the Blue Economy

Few embody the Fellowship’s vision more clearly than Ledama Masidza, a marine conservationist, filmmaker, and community empowerment advocate whose work spans continents.

“I am deeply passionate about the environment, people, and food,” says Masidza, a 2022 Fellow from Cohort 2, who entered the program under the Aquaculture theme—now known as Blue Economy for Food.

His career has taken him around the world—from Canada to Fiji, Nigeria to Brazil—building networks that support indigenous and local communities in crafting grassroots food solutions. But at home in Kilifi County, Kenya, his focus has been razor sharp: supporting women, students, and youth to address malnutrition and basic dietary needs.

Beyond nutrition, Masidza also leads education initiatives through a community trust, building schools and developing extracurricular clubs around environmental storytelling rooted in native traditions.

“My goal is to nurture the next generation not only to see the environment, community, and people as valuable—but to love and protect them.”

Conservation Meets Community

Masidza’s professional turning point came through the ocean. He began as a marine conservationist supporting Kuruwitu, a coastal area in Kilifi County, where he supported one of Kenya’s longest-standing locally managed marine areas.

He initially approached the work from a scientific perspective but quickly recognized a deeper truth: Conservation without community solutions is unsustainable.

“People cannot eat conservation,” he reflects. “Solutions for the environment must go hand in hand with solutions for people.”

In Kuruwitu, Masidza focused on community fisheries, working to answer a key question: How do we empower local communities to manage their fishery resources? In the absence of formal recognition, even voluntary no-fishing zones were difficult to enforce.

“The ocean is an open resource. Those with bigger equipment and greater access tend to exploit it, pushing smaller communities aside,” he says.

“There’s a saying: No fish, no village. That became my entry point.”

Central to this effort was the Kuruwitu Beach Management Unit (BMU)—a local stakeholder group representing fishers, octopus farmers, and tour operators. Key collaborators included Kuruwitu Conservation, Oceans Alive, Kilifi County Department of Fisheries, the Wildlife Conservation Society, and several community welfare organizations.

His team partnered with the Department of Fisheries in Kilifi County, community-based organizations, and NGOs to develop a co-management plan for the Kuruwitu area. The plan laid out shared governance principles, benefit-sharing mechanisms, and a long-term vision for sustainable marine resource use.

“Collaboration was key,” Masidza explains. “We worked with the community, the government, private stakeholders, and NGOs to define a shared path forward.”

The Fellowship’s Lasting Impact

Masidza joined the African Food Fellowship in 2022 as part of Cohort 2, under the Aquaculture theme—now known as the Blue Economy for Food.

“Before, I relied on experience and instinct. System Craft gave me tools to organize collaboration, build compelling narratives, and make issues matter to stakeholders,” he says.

It broke complex issues down into ingredients for transformation—teaching him how to organize and define a clear direction, harness collective intelligence, and build compelling narratives that drive action.

Applying what he learned in real time, Masidza found that while policy frameworks are often solid on paper, implementing them in dynamic, real-world contexts demands agility, resources, and constant stakeholder engagement.

“The fellowship provided me with the tools to navigate spaces where different parties have varying perspectives but share a common interest,” he reflects.

At the time, he was working with Oceans Alive Kenya and was able to apply these lessons in real time. But the path wasn’t always smooth.

“Implementing my food systems action was not without challenges,” he says. “Policies and guidelines often look good on paper, but reality on the ground is different. Working with diverse actors requires different engagement strategies, and issues like time and financial resources add complexity.”

Yet, armed with new knowledge and leadership insight, he found the courage to embrace uncertainty and navigate through obstacles—securing stakeholder buy-in along the way.

Today, Ledama is the Connect Lead for Kenya at the African Food Fellowship, an Ambassador for Oceans Alive, a CNN Academy-trained filmmaker, and a co-founder of the LIFT Network, which supports Indigenous peoples globally. Through storytelling and education, he’s building a movement that connects people to food systems and inspires the protection of the environment.

Looking Ahead

“If you are passionate about making a change but are unsure how to go about it—or if you have a clear vision for food systems transformation—the African Food Fellowship is the place for you,” he says. “It provides a network of like-minded individuals who can help turn your vision into reality.”

With more fellows stepping into leadership across Kenya and Rwanda, the African Food Fellowship is building a thriving ecosystem of change agents—boldly reimagining how Africa feeds itself, sustainably and inclusively.

Joost Guijt, Director of the African Food Fellowship, emphasizes the bigger picture:

“Food systems are complex, and addressing their challenges requires a critical mass of leaders who think and act systematically. The fellowship provides a platform for leaders to connect, collaborate, and drive collective action while benefiting from a world-class leadership program.”

As Cohort 5 begins its journey and new impact areas take shape, the African Food Fellowship stands as a beacon of what’s possible when leadership, local knowledge, and systems thinking converge. In a world of urgent challenges, it is proving that transformation is not only necessary—it’s already underway.