Balance Phala is a Senior Food Systems Officer at ICLEI World Secretariat, where she co-leads ICLEI’s CityFood Programme. In this role, she collaborates with ICLEI regional offices and global partners to implement urban food systems initiatives that help transform cities into hubs for healthy people, healthy landscapes, and a healthy climate. She holds a Master of Business Administration, and her multidisciplinary experience spans national and local government, research institutions, city networks, and community initiatives focused on sustainable urban agrifood systems.
Prior to joining ICLEI, Balance worked for eThekwini Municipality (Durban, South Africa), where she led initiatives to improve the city’s food system through innovative food and nutrition security programs. Earlier in her career, she worked with the South African Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (now DFFE), where she managed research and production related to oyster aquaculture, ensuring compliance with environmental regulations and safety standards. She also worked with the South African National Research Foundation, conducting research that supported responsible governance of marine ecosystems and the conservation of marine species.
Balance is driven by a vision of building more equitable and sustainable food systems and is passionate about collaboration, innovation, and advancing practical solutions that empower rural, peri-urban and urban communities.