Periodic Reporting for period 1 - HealthyDiets4Africa (Combating Malnutrition in Africa Through Diversification of the Food System)
Reporting period: 2023-01-01 to 2024-06-30
The triple burden of malnutrition, undernutrition, overnutrition, and micronutrient deficiencies, remains prevalent in Africa. This hinders economic development and growth, while overburdening Africa’s fragile health systems. Global nutrition is dominated by 15 highly developed crop species providing about 70% of human calories, although 50,000 plant species are edible. Meanwhile, crop diversity is declining at the allelic, genotypic and species levels. This one-sided food production is vulnerable to diseases and pests and climate change and variability. Against this background, HealthyDiets4Africa, a consortium of 12 African and 9 European institutions jointly running a 6-year (2023-2028) EU-funded project, aims to harness the potential of food system diversification to combat malnutrition, enhance food and nutrition security in 8 African countries: Côte d'Ivoire, Benin, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Cameroon, Uganda, and Kenya. Our central hypothesis is that diversifying different elements of the food chain will improve nutritional health and reduce malnutrition in Africa, while achieving economic and environmental benefits. Our overall goal is to build sustainable food systems through diversification in the 8 African countries. The project objectives are 1) establishing dietary diversity-monitoring framework for food systems using new established metrics, 2) developing technologies for sustainable diversification of food production, including new varieties of major crops, innovative production systems for underutilized crops, and diversification of existing cropping systems, 3) enhancing consumer acceptance and adoption of diversified sustainable food products that support human health, and 4) promoting wide acceptance and adoption of diversified food systems. The project applies multidisciplinary and translational research approach to achieve its objectives.
To provide baseline information for the project, we have selected and computed dietary diversity indices, including Healthy Lifestyle Index, Planetary Health Diet Index, Minimum Acceptable Diet, Minimum Dietary Diversity, Minimum Meal Frequency, Household Diversity Score, and Sustainable Diet Index to describe and monitor dietary diversity in the project sites. Value chain analysis tools have been developed to evaluate the sustainability of indigenous green vegetable and fruit value chains in Uganda and Benin. Data collection in both countries have been completed and value chain maps of green leafy vegetables in Uganda are completed. Tools for assessing food environment have been developed. Food environment maps for selected regions in Kenya, Uganda, Côte d'Ivoire and Benin have been developed. A systematic literature review is being conducted to evaluate the impact of interventions in food environments to prevent overweight and obesity in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The dietary baseline information provides the direction for diversified food production measures. A nutrient composition database on major foods and underutilized crops has been developed based on existing databases to understand nutritional composition of foods consumed in sub-Saharan Africa. Over 23 underutilized crop species with limited nutritional information have been identified for nutritional analysis. Samples of these crops have been collected and nutritional analyses are ongoing. New biofortified crop varieties from rice, maize, tomato and pepper are being developed using novel biotechnology techniques. Diversified production systems are identified and being developed for target crops: vegetables, cereals, legumes, underutilized crops and livestock. Nutritious rice crackers fortified with extracts from underutilized plants species and iron zinc fortified parboiled rice have been developed and will be promoted and commercialized to enhance food and nutrition security in Africa. Experiments are being conducted to enhance the shelf-life of selected vegetables (cucumber, eggplant, pepper, tomato) through the application of AtlantiCal, a seaweed-based biostimulant containing calcium. As a next step, we are aiming to evaluate the acceptance of these novel foods by consumers and the effects on their health. Different experiments are being planned to understand consumers’ acceptance of identified and developed novel foods and consumers’ exposure to different toxicants in the food chains. A draft of food safety modules on mycotoxins has been prepared to increase public awareness on the occurrence, health effects and mitigation of toxicants. A systematic literature review is being conducted to understand the impact of behavioural change interventions on optimizing cardio-metabolic health and psycho-social outcomes among women in SSA. In addition to these scientific approaches aimed at generating new knowledge, multiple measures are taken to ensure and maximize the project’s impact on people’s diet and health. Living labs, including community virtual hub, Multi-stakeholder Innovation Platforms (MSIPs) and Integrated Youth in agribusiness Hubs (YABHs), have been established in eight African countries to identify, develop and promote sustainable diversified production systems and innovations that enhance sustainable diversified food production to combat malnutrition. Now, about 55 healthy diet innovation packages have been identified and are being promoted in the various living labs. About 157 youth comprising 72 women and 85 men have been trained on topics related to food system diversification. Forty of them have setup their own agribusiness enterprises, notably in Nigeria and Cameroon. School children and orphanages have been supported to establish vegetable gardens that supply healthy foods for their canteens. Currently, we are also training over 41 students, comprising 20 PhD and 21 MSc candidates, in different disciplines: agricultural economics, agronomy, biotechnology, health, nutrition and food sciences. A national nutritional guide for workers has been developed and approved by the Ivorian Government to promote the health, well-being, and productivity of Ivorian workers. Moreover, an extensive policy gap analysis has been conducted to gain insights into different existing nutrition policies in the eight countries. This has helped us to identify existing gaps and explore opportunities for advocacy. A collection of good nutrition policy practices implemented in some developing countries have been identified as lessons learnt to advocate for improvement in the nutrition policies in the project targeted countries.
The project is contributing to the development of new varieties and new products, community virtual hubs, and a national nutritional guide for workers. These will enhance farm productivity, improve food and nutrition, and create jobs. Strong collaboration among different stakeholders is required to facilitate the development process and commercialization of these products.