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HealthyDiets4Africa (HD4A)

HealthyDiets4Africa (HD4A) - Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT

HealthyDiets4Africa is a transdisciplinary research project that harnesses the potential of food systems diversification to address malnutrition and improve food and nutrition security. Its central hypothesis is that diversifying elements of the food chain is key to improving health and reducing malnutrition in Africa, while bringing additional economic and environmental benefits. The project's goal is to build diversified food systems in eight African countries: Benin, Cameroon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria and Uganda.

Project Name (full): Combating Malnutrition in Africa Through Diversification of the Food System - HealthyDiets4Africa

Start and end year: January 2023 to December 2028

Region and Countries: Africa (Ivory Coast, Benin, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Cameroon, Uganda and Kenya)

Funder: European Union

Partners: Justus-Liebig University Giessen (JLU), Germany - Project Coordinator and lead, AfricaRice (AR) - Ivory Coast, Katolieke Universiteit Leuven (KUL) - Belgium, Universiteit Gent (UGENT) - Belgium, Max Planck Gesellschaft (MPG) - Germany, Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria de Aragon (CITA) - Spain, Centre d'Excellence Régional contre la Faim et la Malnutrition (CERFAM) - Ivory Coast, Africa Projects Development Centre (APDC) - Nigeria, MANOBI Africa (MANOBI) - Mauritius, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) - Nigeria, Food Security for Peace and Nutrition- Africa (FSPN) - Kenya, De Montfort University (DMU) - UK, University of Dschang (UD) - Cameroon, Entreprise en Sante et Securité au Travail (ESST) - Ivory Coast, ZEF, Bonn - Germany, Agri-Business Vocational Training Center (AVTC) - Cameroon, International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI) - Italy, Opportunities Industrialization Center (OIC) - Ivory Coast, University of Copenhagen (UCPH) - Denmark, and Kenyatta University (KU) - Kenya.

Brief Description

In line with the objectives of the EU Green Deal and the global elements of the EU's Farm-to-Fork Strategy, HealthyDiets4Africa aims to contribute to the transformation of food systems in Africa through diversification to make them more resilient and sustainable while improving the supply of safe, nutritious and affordable food to combat malnutrition.

HealthyDiets4Africa explores diversification opportunities across food value chains. At the production level, the project explores diversification opportunities on farms and surrounding landscapes, leading to improved environmental sustainability and resilient agroecosystems.

In supply chains, markets and trade, the project explores diversification of business models and food environments that improve incomes and economic growth. This project will focus on the supply chain of cereals, legumes, vegetables, fruits and fish, engaging with actors across food value chains, policymakers and local partners. The project is implemented using interdisciplinary and translational research approaches to reach project goals.

As well as academic publications, project outputs will include new crop varieties with enhanced nutritional value, diversified production and processing systems, innovative business models, and the dissemination of dietary recommendations and recipes to facilitate the adoption of diversified diets.

HealthyDiets4Africa (HD4A) - Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT - Image 1

HealthyDiets4Africaapproach towards food diversification.

Key activities

HealthyDiets4Africa will explore opportunities for diversifying food systems in eight African countries that experience different levels of all forms of malnutrition: Ivory Coast, Benin, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Cameroon, Uganda and Kenya. An interdisciplinary consortium of food and nutrition scientists, crop scientists, climate change experts, social scientists, NGOs and private companies will collaborate to identify solutions and prospects for diversification across food value chains to combat all forms of malnutrition. The project is organized in clusters that represent thematic areas, each of them containing several work packages. The Cluster Monitoring and Evaluation (WP1-2) will analyze current food consumption patterns in target regions and communities to characterize dietary diversity, sustainability and deficits. The team employs and develops dietary diversity and sustainability metrics to characterize the regional food systems. Based on this information, the Cluster Food Production (WP3-4) will explore measures to diversify food production, storage and processing that address regional dietary requirements.

Based on these findings, the Cluster Food Consumption (WP5-7) will explore the prospects of innovative diversified food products on consumption by characterizing consumer acceptance, food safety and diet-related health effects. The content of these clusters will be described in the following sections.

The most effective solutions that are environmentally sustainable and increase dietary diversity and health will be scaled and disseminated within the Cluster Impact (WP8-9). In the work package Coordination and Management (WP10) the team will coordinate and align all activities to ensure coherence of research activities, and use synergies within and between the clusters.

Other Project Leaders/Member: Prof. Michael Frei and Dr. Emmanuel Donkor from the University of Giessen (Project Leaders). Robert Asiimwe: [email protected] (Project Member)

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