Africa’s development aspirations—embodied in the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—face an existential threat Not from lack of ambition, resources, or innovation, but from the lingering shadow of colonialism and the suffocating grip of industrialisation on the continent’s food systems These forces have not only impoverished Africa’s soils and diets but have also severed spiritual ties to food and the environment, ties once central to African identity, wellness, and resilience Understanding the spiritual, ecological, and cultural damage wrought by colonial and industrial food systems is crucial to shaping an alternative—one that reclaims ancestral wisdom and restores food sovereignty
The cost of ignoring this truth is not just malnourishment or economic dependence—it is the forfeiture of a sustainable future rooted in dignity, harmony, and wholeness Before the arrival of colonial powers, African food systems were embedded in a sacred covenant with nature Agriculture was more than a survival strategy—it was a spiritual practice rooted in gratitude, reciprocity, and a deep respect for the earth The land was revered as a living entity, a maternal force that nurtured all
Farming followed the rhythms of the moon and seasons, guided by ancestral wisdom and communal rituals Food itself was sacred A harvest was celebrated with offerings to ancestors Meals were communal, strengthening bonds and reinforcing the ubuntu/hunhu philosophy of shared humanity
Imagine this system as a vibrant, living garden—every plant, animal, and human playing a part in an interdependent web sustained by spirit and soil But with colonisation came rupture Colonial policies slashed through this sacred tapestry with brutal efficiency Land was no longer seen as a provider but as a “resource” to be exploited
Fertile lands were seized for cash crops like tobacco, coffee, and cocoa to serve foreign markets Indigenous crops were sidelined, and spiritual relationships with the earth were desecrated It was as if an ancestral shrine had been bulldozed to make way for a mine—a gross violation of both land and lineage The result
Spiritual dislocation Communities lost not only their food security but their identity and connection to their heritage This spiritual vacuum contributed to a sense of cultural disorientation that still reverberates today In terms of physical health, the imposition of monocultures decimated diverse, nutrient-rich diets, increasing vulnerability to famine and ushering in an age of malnutrition and later, chronic diseases
Processed foods, imported and advertised as “modern,” began to displace traditional, wholesome diets Diseases once rare—like diabetes, hypertension, and obesity—are now widespread The environmental toll was equally catastrophic Monocultures degraded soils and drained water tables, biodiversity collapsed, and once self-sufficient communities became dependent on volatile global commodity markets
African economies were shackled to a model that exported raw materials and imported processed goods—a cycle of economic captivity that persists today Source: The Standard Zimbabwe
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Source: Thestandard
