Periodic Reporting for period 1 - INCiTiS-FOOD (INtegrated and Circular Technologies for Sustainable city region FOOD systems in Africa)
Reporting period: 2023-01-01 to 2024-06-30
Food systems involve actors on different levels, interactions on multiple parallel scales, and infrastructure that supports the entire value chain. Understanding the interactions and providing adequate support is relevant in addressing food and nutritional security and environmental sustainability, especially in (peri-) urban areas of sub-Saharan Africa. Currently, food systems in African city regions are failing to deliver the desired outcomes, as 25% of urban residents are still suffering from food insecurity and malnourishment. Organic waste is expected to increase threefold by 2030, out of which only 10% are recycled presently. Climate change compounds the situation by introducing challenges to food systems and societal structures. Transforming linear production and midstream components of the city region food systems into circular ones poses tangible solutions.
With a circular food system model at the core of the "Integrated and Circular Technologies for Sustainable city region FOOD systems in Africa" project, INCiTiS-FOOD aims to improve food and nutrition security in African city regions. Furthermore, INCiTiS-FOOD aims at reducing the food system-related environmental footprint and empowering vulnerable groups such as women and young adults by opening opportunities in agri-food supply and value chains. This will be achieved through interdisciplinary research, integrated best-fit technologies, stakeholder-led action that involves co-creation and co-development, capacity-building, research-practitioner-policy collaborative engagement, and Europe-African Union partnership.
The circular agri-food technologies explored by INCiTiS-FOOD comprise soilless farming, e.g. hydroponics, bioponics, recirculating aquaculture systems, aquaponics, snail farming, and insect farming. These agri-food technologies are deemed suitable for African cities because they do not require great access to land, water, or wealth. The project is based on a multi-actor approach, involving 8 city region Living Labs in 6 countries from three African regions (Nairobi & Nakuru in Kenya; Tamale in Ghana, Lagos & Ibadan in Nigeria, Moyamba in Sierra Leone; Bamenda in Cameroon; Franceville in Gabon).
With a circular food system model at the core of the "Integrated and Circular Technologies for Sustainable city region FOOD systems in Africa" project, INCiTiS-FOOD aims to improve food and nutrition security in African city regions. Furthermore, INCiTiS-FOOD aims at reducing the food system-related environmental footprint and empowering vulnerable groups such as women and young adults by opening opportunities in agri-food supply and value chains. This will be achieved through interdisciplinary research, integrated best-fit technologies, stakeholder-led action that involves co-creation and co-development, capacity-building, research-practitioner-policy collaborative engagement, and Europe-African Union partnership.
The circular agri-food technologies explored by INCiTiS-FOOD comprise soilless farming, e.g. hydroponics, bioponics, recirculating aquaculture systems, aquaponics, snail farming, and insect farming. These agri-food technologies are deemed suitable for African cities because they do not require great access to land, water, or wealth. The project is based on a multi-actor approach, involving 8 city region Living Labs in 6 countries from three African regions (Nairobi & Nakuru in Kenya; Tamale in Ghana, Lagos & Ibadan in Nigeria, Moyamba in Sierra Leone; Bamenda in Cameroon; Franceville in Gabon).
The research and innovation actions of INCiTiS-FOOD relate to African city region food systems. Consequently, the project started with the analysis of the food systems in those 8 African cities and towns, where the partners’ so-called living labs are located. The analysis contributed to the detailing of the social ecosystem potential for co-creation and knowledge sharing in the mentioned living labs. The results of the food system analyses for each city and town were summarized. To compare INCiTiS-FOOD circular agri-food technologies to conventional ones, micro-level indicators related to the water-energy-food-ecosystem (WEFE) Nexus were reviewed and an inventory of city-region resource streams was undertaken to ensure that the INCiTiS-FOOD agri-food technologies can be built using local resource streams.
The co-creation and co-development of circular agri-food technologies and business opportunities in the food system take place in the living labs of INCiTiS-FOOD. The main circular technologies relate to hydroponics, bioponics, recirculating aquaculture systems, aquaponics, snail farming, and insect farming. Central to the remarkable progress of all living labs were the individual living lab implementation plans and on-site capacity building. Early capacity building focused on training-of-trainers. Thereafter, this capacity was shared with local innovation actors in the co-creation and co-development process. All living labs have established prototypes of at least two agri-food technologies. The iteration process to advance the prototypes into so-called minimum valuable products is ongoing. This takes into consideration local preferences, gender and youth norms, and market conditions.
An important aspect of research and innovation is business feasibility. For this reason, the living labs assess their potential minimum valuable products in terms of costs and benefits as well as break-even-points. This is to minimize adoption risk. Furthermore, business and financial capacity building for future adopters of minimum valuable products will be offered, together with model business cases, plans, and (digital) business models. The INCiTiS-FOOD consortium has agreed to put 1 million euro into a so-called cascade fund to which innovation actors in the sphere of circular agri-food technologies and other food system businesses can apply for grants to scale their activities up. In this context, the open call guidelines, and activities needed for the gender- and youth-sensitive capacity building of potential MVP adopters are being prepared.
While INCiTiS-FOOD is confident that its minimum valuable products and business ideas will improve the welfare of adopters, particularly their food and nutrition security, the project will also generate empirical (qualitative & quantitative) evidence of the impact. A conceptual framework has been developed and shared with the living labs to assess the policy frameworks in the city region food systems. The municipal authorities of several cities (i.e. Ibadan, Enugu, and Lagos in Nigeria as well as Bo in Sierra Leone) have been made aware of the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact initiative and the living labs adjacent to these cities support the municipal authorities in signing up with the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact initiative. This is an ongoing process.
The co-creation and co-development of circular agri-food technologies and business opportunities in the food system take place in the living labs of INCiTiS-FOOD. The main circular technologies relate to hydroponics, bioponics, recirculating aquaculture systems, aquaponics, snail farming, and insect farming. Central to the remarkable progress of all living labs were the individual living lab implementation plans and on-site capacity building. Early capacity building focused on training-of-trainers. Thereafter, this capacity was shared with local innovation actors in the co-creation and co-development process. All living labs have established prototypes of at least two agri-food technologies. The iteration process to advance the prototypes into so-called minimum valuable products is ongoing. This takes into consideration local preferences, gender and youth norms, and market conditions.
An important aspect of research and innovation is business feasibility. For this reason, the living labs assess their potential minimum valuable products in terms of costs and benefits as well as break-even-points. This is to minimize adoption risk. Furthermore, business and financial capacity building for future adopters of minimum valuable products will be offered, together with model business cases, plans, and (digital) business models. The INCiTiS-FOOD consortium has agreed to put 1 million euro into a so-called cascade fund to which innovation actors in the sphere of circular agri-food technologies and other food system businesses can apply for grants to scale their activities up. In this context, the open call guidelines, and activities needed for the gender- and youth-sensitive capacity building of potential MVP adopters are being prepared.
While INCiTiS-FOOD is confident that its minimum valuable products and business ideas will improve the welfare of adopters, particularly their food and nutrition security, the project will also generate empirical (qualitative & quantitative) evidence of the impact. A conceptual framework has been developed and shared with the living labs to assess the policy frameworks in the city region food systems. The municipal authorities of several cities (i.e. Ibadan, Enugu, and Lagos in Nigeria as well as Bo in Sierra Leone) have been made aware of the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact initiative and the living labs adjacent to these cities support the municipal authorities in signing up with the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact initiative. This is an ongoing process.
The living labs of INCiTiS-FOOD have collaboratively co-designed and co-developed 5 prototypes over the past 18 months, focusing on innovative agricultural practices (i.e. hydroponics, bioponics, aquaponics, recirculating aquaculture systems, insect and snail farming). These prototypes are undergoing co-design iterations with stakeholders towards becoming co-called minimum valuable products that can succeed in a competitive market environment. The living labs serve multiple purposes such as raising awareness, providing training, and building capacity, collectively reaching over 500 individuals. The production outputs, which include fish, vegetables, and benefits related to resource and environmental conservation, have contributed to both local food supply and ecological health. Research and innovation actions in the INCiTiS-FOOD living labs benefited from a comprehensive ethics framework, including e.g. a code of conduct, fish welfare and lab safety guidelines, and a joint data controller agreement.