Overview

While Africa has potential to grow diversity of food, the continent suffers high levels of under-nutrition, nutritional deficiencies, food poisoning and has in recent decades also registered marked rise in prevalence of over-nutrition and associated non-communicable diseases. Over 20% of Africa’s population face chronic hunger and approximately 30% of children below five years on the continent are stunted as a result of chronic under-nutrition. Prevalence of micronutrient deficiencies is also widespread, especially among children under five years of age and women of reproductive age. The high prevalence of under-nutrition and nutritional deficiencies has been associated with poor mental development among children, leading to low productivity in adulthood. It is also linked to approximately half of mortalities recorded among under-fives. In adults, under-nutrition and nutritional deficiencies lead to low productivity, poor health and poor pregnancy outcomes.

Food and Local, Agricultural, and Nutritional Diversity (FoodLAND) project aims to develop, implement and validate innovative, scalable and sustainable technologies aimed at supporting the nutrition performance of local food systems in Africa, while strengthening agro-biodiversity and food diversity as well as diversity of healthy diets. FoodLAND adopts a bottom-up approach and bases the initiatives to be carried out on producers’ and consumers’ motivations, needs and choices. The starting point is to draw a picture of consumers’ and producers’ preferences and behaviours, to detect food-related decision-making processes and factors. Funded to the tune of 7 million euros by the European Commission within the Horizon 2020 programme, and led by Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna (Italy), the project is committed to developing a range of innovations for local agriculture and aquaculture development, as well as to nudging consumers towards healthier eating behaviour in six African countries: Morocco, Tunisia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. The project specifically aims to empower smallholder farmers and food operators, foster nutrition responsive and sustainable agro-biodiversity, reinforce the productivity and resilience of food supply chains, and create new market opportunities at both the local and global scales, thereby encouraging the flourishing of rural communities. These achievements are envisaged to benefit both African and European consumers by providing them with traditional-based, healthy, nutritious foods, while encouraging the diffusion of African diets and aiding the fight against malnutrition, particularly in women and children. Uganda’s project team includes Prof. John Muyonga and Prof. Johnny Mugisha from CAES; Dr. Cassius Aruho, Dr. Puline Nakyewa, Dr. Margaret Masette, Dr. Getrude Atukunda and Dr. Justus Rutaisire from NARO; Mr. Henry Nsereko from VEDCO; and Prof. Dorothy Nakimbugwe from Nutreal.

Expected outcome

Launched in 2020, the project was envisaged to create a network of 14 local Food Hubs—paired with 14 separate cities in these countries—that would mobilise relevant actors in rural, urban and peri-urban communities and serve as injection points for testing and introducing the innovations. The 28 partners that comprise the FoodLAND consortium (18 of them African institutions while the other 10 are European) were expected to work together to develop, implement and validate 12 technological innovations; which include organizational and technological innovations for both vegetable and fish farming and food processing systems, together with 17 novel local food products, ranging from fresh, dried and processed vegetables and fish to composite flours and therapeutic foods.

Achievements registered thus far

To date, the project team in Uganda has registered a number of achievements including;

1. New nutrient enhanced food products – Noodles containing orange fleshed sweetpotatoes and biofortified beans; instant flours containing orange fleshed sweetpotatoes, biofortified beans and grain amaranth; and dry eggplant. Arrangements are in place for commercialization of the technologies by SMEs.
2. Establishment of infrastructure at MUARIK for research and training on fertigation (irrigation that supplies water together with manure) and precision irrigation.
3. Development of technology for smart cold storage of perishable foods such as fruits and vegetables. The technology allows for remote monitoring of temperature and relative humidity.
4. Development of technology for rodent control in stores. This technology has been shown to be effective in preventing of rodent damage to food in stores.
5. Promotion of agro-ecological intensification – Applying ecological principles to ensure sustainable agricultural production.
6. Testing application of biobased packaging of food
7. Training of 100 farmers in different production technologies.
8. Training of 3 M.Sc.
9. Developing of nutrition guidelines for adults and the elderly.

The 4^th Annual Meeting

The 4^th Annual Meeting held at Hotel Africana in Kampala from 18^th-20^th January 2024 and attended by over 70 representatives from partner institutions took stock of the achievements and discussed strategies for future implementation. During the meeting, the partners shared insights on consumer research, specifically focusing on the  implications for innovations, and for food and nutrition security. They also deliberated on the progress made in the areas of precision agriculture, farming and food processing systems and food stability and safety, and brainstormed on strategies for reaching out to the urban and rural population, raising awareness among vulnerable groups and promoting the project novel foods. On the meeting agenda were focused group activities and discussions on the innovations that are being developed and tested in the partner countries – validation of technological research and innovation.

Relevance of the project

Addressing participants, the Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Academic Affairs at Makerere University, Prof. Umar Kakumba commended FoodLAND as an extremely important project for Africa that directly responds to the aspirations of Sustainable Development Goals 1 (No poverty), 2 (Zero hunger), 3 (Good health and wellbeing). “The project also directly addresses goals 3 (healthy and well-nourished citizens), 5 (modern agriculture for increased productivity and production), and 7 (environmentally sustainable and climate resilient economies and communities) of Africa’s agenda 2063. It also aligns with Uganda’s National Development Plan 3 which has agro-industrialisation as the first strategy, and contributes to the three core mandates of Makerere University, which are training, research and knowledge transfer partnerships. The project is well aligned to Makerere University’s 2020-2030 Strategic Plan, which among others, seeks to strengthen generation and uptake of knowledge and technologies that contribute to socio-economic transformation of people in Uganda and beyond.” Commenting on the low level of research uptake, with only 14% of research conducted globally finding some form of application, Prof. Kakumba commended the FoodLAND model which starts with baseline studies to understand the needs and preferences of the target population, participatory technology development and a focus on technology dissemination, noting that the strategy improves likelihood for uptake of research outputs. “Low research uptake translates into enormous waste of financial resources and human effort.” Prof. Kakumba appreciated the EU for the funding extended towards research and other development initiatives at Makerere and Uganda in general.

Way forward on improving production and productivity

Delivering a presentation on the Research and Innovation Strategy for Africa: Challenges and Opportunities, the Executive Secretary of RUFORUM, Prof. Patrick Okori pointed the need to increase and balance investment in Agriculture, and to engage science, technology and innovation in enhancing production and productivity. “Africa still has the largest arable land yet most of our production is less than 50%. We need to leverage science, technology and innovation to enhance production and productivity. There is need to harness the digital revolution to support translation of knowledge. Universities should also move from project-based research to programmes.”

The FoodLAND consortium

Research partners:

• Alma Mater Studiorum – Università Di Bologna (Coordinator), Italy
• Agroscope, Switzerland
• The James Hutton Institute, UK
• Copenhagen Business School, Denmark
• Ecole Nationale d’Agriculture de Meknes, Morocco
• Institut Supérieur Agronomique de Chott-Mariem, Tunisia
• Institut National Agronomique de Tunisie, Tunisia
• Mekelle University, Ethiopia
• University of Nairobi, Kenya
• Sokoine University of Agriculture, Tanzania
• Makerere University, Uganda
• National Agricultural Research Organisation, Uganda

Partners for agriculture/aquaculture promotion and sustainable development in Africa

• Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Agency Tigrai, Ethiopia
• Ministry of Agriculture Livestock and Fisheries, Kenya
• Comitato Europeo per la Formazione e l’Agricoltura, Italy
• Relief Society of Tigray, Ethiopia
• Volunteer Efforts for Development Concerns, Uganda
• Farm Concern International, Kenya
• Helvetas Tanzania, Switzerland
• Groupement d’Intérêt Economique ZoyoutDir Béni Mellal, Morocco
• Groupement de développement agricole HrayerGloubthiran, Tunisia

Small and medium-sized companies in the food sector

• Kitui Enterprise Promotion Company Limited, Kenya
• Tamarillo Kenya Limited, Kenya
• Katundu Traders Limited, Tanzania
• Nutreal Limited, Uganda
• AquaBioTech Limited, Malta

Industrial partner

• NovamontS.p.A, Italy

Communication and IPR management partners

• ElhuyarFundazioa, Spain
• EURICE, Germany