AfriFOODlinks: Ouagadougou’s Sustainable Food Policy Initiatives Recognised

At a big stage in Milan in October, in the presence of people from across the globe working on sustainable urban food systems, the city of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso was the only African city to take an award home. The recognition was under the category "Food Supply & Distribution". This article takes a closer look at how two modest, but innovative market upgrades rose to international visibility.

During the 10th World Forum of the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact in Milan, the city received an award for two pilot projects, the introduction of mobile counters for street food vendors at the Rood-Woko market, and upgraded stalls designed for women vegetable vendors at the Nabii Yaar market.

Supported by Rikolto and local partners and funded by the AfriFOODLinks programme coordinated by ICLEI Africa with funding from the European Union, the pilots are part of a wider municipal effort to transform how food is sold, handled and accessed in a city where the majority of residents still rely on local or traditional food markets.