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IAP Food Systems Summit Briefs
IAP Food Systems Summit Briefs Food Systems Summit Briefs are prepared by researchers of Partners of the Scientific Group for the United Nations Food Systems Summit. They are made available under the responsibility of the authors. The views presented may not be attributed to the Scientific Group or to the partner organisations with which the authors are affiliated. Published in July 2021. This work is copyright of the InterAcademy Partnership (IAP) and is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International. Additional copies of this publicaton can be downloaded at: https://www.interacademies.org/publication/iap-food-systems-summit-briefs About the InterAcademy Partnership (IAP) Under the umbrella of the InterAcademy Partnership (IAP), more than 140 national, regional and global member academies work together to support the vital role of science in seeking evidence-based solutions to the world’s most challenging problems. In particular, IAP harnesses the expertise of the world’s scientific, medical and engineering leaders to advance sound policies, improve public health, promote excellence in science education and achieve other critical development goals. IAP’s four regional networks in Africa (the Network of African Science Academies, NASAC), the Americas (the InterAmerican Network of Academies of Sciences, IANAS), Asia (the Association of Academies and Societies of Sciences in Asia, AASSA) and Europe (the European Academies’ Science Advisory Council, EASAC) are responsible for managing and implementing many IAP- funded projects and help make IAP’s work relevant around the world. For more information about IAP see https://www.interacademies. org and follow IAP on Twitter https://twitter.com/ IAPartnership, LinkedIn https://www. linkedin.com/company/interacademypartnership and YouTube https://tinyurl.com/ IAPyoutube.
Contents
Foreword............................................................................................................................................................................................ 1
The role of science, technology, and innovation for transforming food systems in Africa...... 2
Introduction........................................................................................................................................................................... 2
The context of African food systems................................................................................................................................. 3
Transforming food systems in Africa through STI........................................................................................................ 4
Concluding messages ........................................................................................................................................................... 12
References............................................................................................................................................................................... 13
The role of science, technology, and innovation for transforming food systems in Asia......... 19
Introduction............................................................................................................................................................................ 19
The overarching framework for developing inclusive, sustainable food and nutrition systems....................... 20
Delivering healthy diets....................................................................................................................................................... 21
Transformation to sustainably produced and healthy diets........................................................................................ 23
Addressing food-energy-water nexus and other natural resources......................................................................... 23
Supporting and using outputs from fundamental research........................................................................................ 23
Consequences of COVID-19................................................................................................................................................. 24
Strengthening policy for research and its uptake.......................................................................................................... 24
References............................................................................................................................................................................... 24
The role of science, technology, and innovation for transforming food systems in Europe.... 28
Introduction: the transformation of European food systems..................................................................................... 28
Agriculture-environment nexus and agroecology in Europe......................................................................................30
Delivering sustainable and healthy diets under climate change................................................................................ 31
Responding to COVID-19..................................................................................................................................................... 32
New breeding techniques: a case study in science, technology and innovation..................................................... 32
Strengthening research and its uptake into policy and practice................................................................................ 33
References............................................................................................................................................................................... 35
The role of science, technology, and innovation for transforming food systems in Latin
America and the Caribbean..................................................................................................................................................... 40
Introduction............................................................................................................................................................................ 40
IAP and IANAS reports “Opportunities for future research and innovation on food and nutrition security and
agriculture”............................................................................................................................................................................ 40
Food and nutrition aspects, healthy diets........................................................................................................................ 41
Science and technology and food systems transformation......................................................................................... 41
A perspective from Latin America and the Caribbean................................................................................................... 42
Lessons from COVID-19....................................................................................................................................................... 44
Moving forward: strengthening policy in LAC for research and its uptake............................................................. 45
References............................................................................................................................................................................... 46
The role of science, technology and innovation for transforming food systems globally........ 50
Introduction: the transformation of food systems........................................................................................................ 50
Regional heterogeneity........................................................................................................................................................ 51
Agriculture-environment nexus........................................................................................................................................ 51
Delivering healthy diets sustainably produced under climate change...................................................................... 52
Responding to COVID-19..................................................................................................................................................... 54
Using science, technology and innovation to promote and evaluate action............................................................ 54
Strengthening the contribution of research to policy making.................................................................................... 57
Conclusions............................................................................................................................................................................. 58
References............................................................................................................................................................................... 59
Foreword
The UN Food Systems Summit (UN FSS) provides a very important collective initiative
to identify and assess the scientific opportunities for transforming food systems.
Although much progress had been made in past decades, the global prospects
for food and nutrition security are now worsening and are being exacerbated
by the concurrent crises of the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change.
Nonetheless, it is also now possible to capitalise on unprecedented scientific advances. The
InterAcademy Partnership (IAP), the global network of more than 140 academies of science,
engineering and medicine, published a report in 2018 on the opportunities and challenges
for food and nutrition security and agriculture. Our global synthesis report was informed
by four regional reports by academy networks in Africa (NASAC), Asia-Pacific (AASSA), the
Americas (IANAS) and Europe (EASAC). These reports highlighted the importance of taking a
transdisciplinary approach to food systems and encompassing multiple steps from growing
through to transport, retail, consumption and recycling. Furthermore, all agreed that in the
transformation of food systems towards social, economic and environmental sustainability,
it was also essential and urgent to take account of pressures on other natural resources such
as soil and water, and the of continuing objective to avoid further damage to biodiversity.
Earlier in 2021, IAP greatly welcomed an invitation from the UN FSS Scientific Group to
contribute regional and global Briefs, updating material selected from our previous reports.
These were published by the UN FSS two months ago. We now bring these Briefs together
in a single volume as a resource to help stimulate further discussion and action, in the run-
up to the Summit and afterwards. Taking account of regional similarities and differences,
we evaluate a wide range of scientific opportunities that can contribute strongly to tangible
progress in transforming food systems; that can be mapped on to the UN FSS Action Tracks;
and that can inform the identification and introduction of game changers. Taken together,
the many recent scientific advances and further achievements now coming within reach,
constitute a core resource to stimulate innovation, guide practice and inform policy decisions.
We thank the authors of the Briefs, and the experts they consulted, for their continuing
commitment to these timely and important topics and for ensuring that the distinctive
approach of IAP adds value to the work of many other groups in this area. We also
thank our regional academy networks, AASSA, EASAC, IANAS and NASAC, and our IAP
colleagues for their enthusiastic and sustained support for this major IAP project.
The issues raised by the UN FSS, which are vitally important to us all, require considerable
further effort in transdisciplinary, cross-sectoral and cross-boundary partnerships. We affirm
that IAP and its members are keen to continue our work at the science-policy interfaces and
to use our experience and motivation at national, regional and global levels to engage with all
stakeholders. We greatly welcome feedback on any of the issues discussed in this volume.
Richard Catlow, Depei Liu, Volker ter Meulen,
IAP President IAP President IAP Special Advisor
1The role of science, technology, and innovation for
transforming food systems in Africa
by Sheryl L. Hendriks, Endashaw Bekele, Thameur Chaibi, Mohamed
Hassan, Douglas W. Miano and John H. Muyonga
As recognised by the Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa – 2024
(STISA-2024), science, technology and innovation (STI) offer many opportunities for
addressing the main constraints to embracing transformation in Africa. Preparation
for the Summit provides an important moment for shaping the region’s future and
ensuring that the much-needed agriculture-led growth and development agenda can
simultaneously deliver on improving nutrition and health, saving lives and curbing
public health expenditure on nutrition-related diseases. Yet, the Comprehensive Africa
Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) and its associated national plans still need
to adopt a food systems lens. As food systems need cross-sectoral coordination beyond
what CAADP coordination is needed, institutional innovation is essential for Africa to rise
to the vision of the AUC Agenda 2063 and the Food Systems Summit’s aspirations.
This brief seeks to identify the opportunities for African countries to take proactive steps to
harness the potential of agriculture and food systems to ensure future food and nutrition
security by applying STI solutions. The potential applications cover essential STI solutions
to a) improving production systems and restoring degraded systems (including soil quality);
b) innovation in the processing and packaging of foods; c) improving human nutrition,
health and productivity; d) addressing fragility and instability and e) greater access to
information and transparent monitoring and accountability systems. Change will need to be
supported by institutional coordination; clear, food safety and health-conscious regulatory
environments; greater access to information and transparent monitoring and accountability
systems. Mechanisation and digitisation will speed up such transformation and enable more
inclusive advancement of food systems. ICT solutions and advances could play a significant
role in advancing food systems and addressing inequalities in access to inputs, knowledge
and markets. Adaptation through sustainable intensification and agricultural diversification
may have to be combined with the creation of off-farm opportunities, both locally and
through strengthened rural-urban linkages. Financial support (microfinance, credit,
subsidies, loans, insurance, etc.) plays an important role in risk reduction for producers.
Introduction food and build a just and resilient world where
no one is left behind (UN, 2020, von Braun et
The vision of the UN Food Systems Summit al., 2021).
is to “launch bold new actions, solutions
In response to growing interest in the role
and strategies to deliver progress on all 17
that agriculture and food systems can play in
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), each
reducing malnutrition, addressing inequalities
of which relies on healthier, more sustainable
and reducing poverty, the Inter-Academy
and more equitable food systemsI” (UN, 2020).
Partnership (IAP) embarked on a project to
The Summit seeks to transform the way the
mobilise global Academy expertise to produce
world produces, consumes and thinks about
a global synthesis and four regional reports on
I Food systems encompass all the elements and activities that the role of science, technology and innovation
relate to the production, processing, distribution, preparation to transform the food and agriculture sector
and consumption of food, as well as the output of these in Africa to be more resilient and sustainable
activities, including socio-economic and environmental
outcomes (HLPE, 2020). “Sustainable food systems are: systems and simultaneously improve nutrition
productive and prosperous (to ensure the availability of and food security.
sufficient food); equitable and inclusive (to ensure access
for all people to food and to livelihoods within that system); As recognised by the Science, Technology
empowering and respectful (to ensure agency for all people and Innovation Strategy for Africa – 2024
and groups, including those who are most vulnerable and
marginalized to make choices and exercise voice in shaping (STISA-2024) (AU, 2014a), science, technology
that system); resilient (to ensure stability in the face of shocks and innovation (STI) offer many opportunities
and crises); regenerative (to ensure sustainability in all its for addressing the main constraints to
dimensions); and healthy and nutritious (to ensure nutrient
uptake and utilization)” (HLPE, 2020). embracing transformation in Africa. This
2brief summarises and updates the IAP report of product optimization and formulation and
entitled Opportunities and challenges for the n mutual benefit of different disciplines.
research on food and nutrition security and Food systems approaches will bring about
agriculture in Africa (NASAC, 2018) as a new innovations from transdisciplinary
contribution to the Summit. The IAP/NASAC perspectives to solve unique problems.
report (NASAC, 2018) updated an earlier
perspective set out by the InterAcademy The context of African food
Council’s (IAC) 2004 report on Realizing the systems
Promise and Potential of African Agriculture.
This earlier report set out recommendations Agriculture is at the core of almost all
and proposed approaches and actions to African economies (Baumüller et al., 2021).
deploy STI to more effectively improve However, most AU Member States were not
agricultural productivity and food security on track towards achieving the 2014 Malabo
in Africa (InterAcademy Council, 2004) Declaration and CAADP goals and targets by
as commissioned by the United Nations 2025 (AU, 2020). As the Malabo Declaration
Secretary-General, the late Kofi Annan. targets overlap with the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SGD2,
The 2018 IAP/NASAC report and this Africa is lagging on achieving the goals. The
brief seek to support the preparation of recent COVID-19 pandemic has been a setback
African governments and stakeholders to in terms of progress towards reducing hunger
simultaneously achieve the vision of the and malnutrition.
Summit along with achieving the 2014 Malabo
Declaration on the Comprehensive Africa African food systems are diverse and
Agricultural Development Plan (CAADP) (AU, draw on several traditional and modern
2014b), Africa’s Agenda 2063 (AU, 2009) technologies. Agriculture (including crop
and their SDG commitments. In July 2020, production, animal husbandry, fisheries and
a Joint Ministerial Declaration and Action forestry, and the manufacturing and their
Agenda (AU, 2020), called “upon [African] processing) can stimulate economic growth
governments and partners to commit adequate and enhance economic transformation in
resources to build greater productive capacity Africa through rising rural incomes, creating
in agriculture, strengthening resilience jobs, increasing government revenue,
in Africa’s agri-food systems through the and ensure accelerated economic growth
allocation of new resources or repurposing and development (Baumüller et al., 2021).
existing public resources”. Increasing producers’ and processors’ incomes
can positively affect poverty reduction and
Preparation for the Summit provides an food security and nutrition (Baumüller et al.,
important moment for shaping the region’s 2021). Furthermore, the recently introduced
future and ensuring that the much-needed African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)
agriculture-led growth and development agreement offers many opportunities for
agenda can simultaneously deliver on the development of food systems, including
improving nutrition and health, saving diverse livelihoods across the food system and
lives and curbing public health expenditure the provision of safe and nutritious food to all
on nutrition-related diseases. This on the continent using Africa’s own resources
includes addressing the usual elements of and reducing the reliance on imports and
undernutrition and widespread micronutrient development assistance.
deficiencies (termed “hidden hunger”) and the
growing problem of overweight and obesity Africa will require radical actions to reduce
that is increasing across the African continent. undernutrition, correct micronutrient
This brief seeks to identify the opportunities deficiencies and simultaneously stem the tide
for African countries to take proactive steps of increasing overweight and obesity. Africa
to harness the potential of agriculture and had the highest regional undernourishment
food systems to ensure future food and rate in 2019 (19.1% or more than 250 million
nutrition security by applying STI solutions. undernourished people), more than twice the
It should be noted that the biotechnology world average and growing faster than any
revolution arose from the convergence of other region (FAO et al., 2020). The proportion
advancements in the biological, physical, of people undernourished has risen by 1.5%
engineering, and social sciences. In terms of since 2014 and is projected to rise to 25.7% by
food systems, what converges is the technical 2030 (FAO et al., 2020). More than 675 million
reinforcement of these advancements in terms people in Africa were food insecurity (as
3measured by the Food Insecurity Experience reported that 829 million of the three billion
Scale of FIES) in 2019 (FAO et al., 2020). Recent people in the world who could not afford a
economic slowdowns and downturns partly healthy diet in 2019 lived in sub-Saharan
explain the increase in hunger in several parts Africa. Just more than 12 % of people in Africa
of sub-Saharan Africa (FAO et al., 2020). The could not afford a calorie-sufficient diet in
COVID-19 pandemic and other emerging 2019. While 56.4% were not able to afford a
diseases have worsened the situation, nutrient-adequate diet and 80.0% could not
increasing the poverty of resource-poor food afford a healthy diet (Herforth et al., 2020).
producers, particularly in already fragile While local prices vary significantly by location
regions. and across seasons, the costs of perishable and
nutrient-dense foods contribute significantly
While African agriculture growth has
to the total cost. Yet, these foods are essential
accelerated, growth through innovations (i.e.
to overcome undernutrition and micronutrient
total factor productivity growth) lags behind
deficiencies.
other regions of the world (Baumüller et al.,
2021). Africa imports large amounts of food The COVID-19 pandemic (like others in
- US$ 60 billion per annum (UNCTAD, 2020) the past) has disrupted food systems and
- to fill supply gaps. Bouët et al. (2020) report livelihoods in Africa and threaten the
that in net terms, this amounts to about US$ significant gains over the past few decades
25 billion per year in cereals, US$ 8 billion in African development. The pandemic has
in meat and dairy, US$ 4 billion in sugar and led to transport restrictions and quarantine
US$ 9 billion in the vegetable oil sector. Many measures that restrict farmers’ access to input
African countries’ over-reliance on imports and output markets and services, including
to meet the local demand for staple foods human and animal health services (MaMo,
renders these economies vulnerable to many 2020). While data suggests that Africa has
risks, insecurities, and uncertainties. While largely been spared of the pandemic’s scourge
importing staple food is not negative per se, (Maeda and Nkengasong, 2021), the long-term
disproportional reliance on external sources impacts are yet to unfold.
for food is a risk that threatens long-term
Food systems transformation is required to
resilience.
ensure adequate incomes for producers and
It is estimated that by 2050 Africa’s population enable access to affordable, healthy dietsII
will increase 2.5-fold (Suzuki, 2019) and while managing increasing food demand from
the demand for cereals is likely to triple growing and rapidly urbanising populations.
(van Ittersuma et al., 2016). The region’s Yet, CAADP and its associated national
rapid population growth is attributed to plans still need to adopt a food systems
rising life expectancy and declines in death lens. As food systems require cross-sectoral
rates, particularly of children (Jayne and coordination beyond what was needed for
Ameyaw, 2016). This will have consequences CAADP, institutional innovation is also needed
for agriculture and food systems, including for Africa to rise to the vision of the AUC
pressure on land, water and other natural Agenda 2063 and the Food Systems Summit’s
resources. Land prices may rise as a result aspirations.
(Jayne and Ameyaw, 2016). The population
below the age of 24 years accounts for the Transforming food systems in
largest share of the population in almost all Africa through STI
countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (World Bank
and IFAD, 2017). The World Bank and IFAD Science has the potential to find sustainable
(2017) report that an estimated 440 million solutions to challenges facing food systems
young people will enter Africa’s rural labour that relate to health, nutrition, agriculture,
market by 2030. Future demographic trends climate change, ecology and human behaviour
will influence labour and land productivity and (IAP/NASAC, 2018). As many African
youth needs will need to be factored into future economies are still largely agriculturally
development planning and STI applications based and many African value chains under-
(World Bank and IFAD, 2017). developed, adopting an integrated approach
to developing and advancing food systems
Price and affordability are key barriers to
accessing sufficient, safe, nutritious food II A healthy diet is health-promoting and disease-preventing.
(Herforth et al., 2020). Food prices and low It provides adequate nutrients (without excess) and health-
incomes constrain access to adequate diets promoting substances from nutritious foods and avoids the
consumption of health-harming substances (Neufeld et al.,
for many people in Africa. The FA0 (2020) 2021).
4could provide multiple opportunities for productivity in agri-food value chains, add
the development of African economies and value, enhance labour productivity, and
societies. create jobs to produce the food demanded
by consumers (FAO, 2015a).
With her rich diversity of production systems,
significant biodiversity and strong cultural
Soil fertility. Declining soil fertility is a
association with traditional diets that are
major constraint to agricultural
for the most part nutritious and healthy, the
transformation in Africa (Jayne et al.,
development of Africa’s food systems have the
2019). Continuous cropping and
potential to build healthier, more sustainable
unsustainable cultivation practices driven
and more equitable food systems when
by shrinking farm sizes and increasing food
supported by advances in technologies and
demand threaten future food supply in
research. Any change in food systems will lead
Africa (Jayne et al., 2014), limiting the
to a multiplicity of changes (either positive or
potential benefit from yield gains offered
negative) affecting nutrition, health, welfare
by plant genetic improvement (Tittonell
and the environment. The health implications,
and Giller, 2013). Appropriate soil
welfare outcomes (such as through livelihood
improvement practices and informed
outcomes, wages and incomes) and dietary
production choices are essential to prevent
patterns’ environmental footprints are
further degradation. A holistic and
strongly dependent on how foods are produced
integrated strategy is needed that focuses
and processed. STI can help support food
on raising organic matter and improving
system development in ways that protect
moisture retention (Kihara et al., 2016).
resources, provide livelihoods opportunities
The soil microbiome affects how plants
and improve incomes across the system and
react to environmental stresses such as
at the same time, deliver more nutritious
high salinity and low water availability and
and healthy diets. The following subsections
diseases (Nadeem et al., 2014; Spence et al.,
provide some examples of how STI can support
2014; Qin et al., 2016). The isolation of
the Summit vision and progress towards the
microbial strains and modern high-
SGDs and Africa’s Agenda 2063.
throughput sequencing technologies are
A. Improving production systems and being used to catalogue microbial species
restoring degraded systems (including soil associated with plants in different soils,
quality) including arid and saline soils (Wild, 2016).
The development of next-generation crop
Improving the efficiency of production systems varieties should simultaneously select
is necessary given constraints on land and beneficial characteristics in the plant and
resource availability and the relatively the microbiome to improve soil fertility and
small land plots in most of Africa (Lowder crop yields (Gopal and Gupta, 2016).
et al., 2016). Improving production Research is also needed to develop
efficiency is necessary to meet the growing protective seed coatings to protect plants
demand for food (including animal- from soil-borne pests and pathogens while
sourced foods) but is also an environmental also providing micro bio-fertilisers (Rocha
imperative. The Food Systems Summit calls et al., 2019).
for a shift to nature-positive production
systems that seek to build food systems Water. Water is needed for food production,
that meet the fundamental human right to food processing and industrialisation as
healthy food while operating within well as safe drinking water, sanitation and
planetary boundaries that limit the natural hygiene. The demand for these resources
resources available for sustainable competes for the available water that can be
exploitation. eased through use of appropriate
technology and policy. Urbanisation will
Modernisation can positively influence the place increased pressure on the water
basket of food at the household level (such demand and compete with water for the
as foods for local consumption rather than production of food. Urbanisation and
export and foods with a relatively high industrialisation also pose threats to water
nutritional value) that households produce quality.
or can access economically. Meeting this
changing consumer demand will require Many energy-generation systems also
substantial private investment to increase depend on water sources for hydroelectric
5power, cooling power plants and hydraulic cattle and rabbits) are good sources of
fracturing. Many countries with large-scale high-quality animal protein with rich
irrigation programmes source water from amino acid profiles (NASAC 2018). They
aquifers, threatening long-term also provide much needed nutrient-dense
sustainability, possibly leading to conflict foods, vital to overcoming the high rates of
over water in the future. Competition for child malnutrition in Africa.
water needs to be eased using appropriate
technology and policies to protect and However, globally livestock accounts for
manage water resources (including river 14.5% of all greenhouse gas emissions
basins and lakes). Water-harvesting and (cattle for 60% of these), with emissions
storage are necessary to support crop and linked to food digestion and feed
livestock production. More innovation is production dominating emissions from
required in recycling wastewater to ruminants (Gerber et al., 2013), and about a
increase the overall availability of water. third of the freshwater footprint for
The desalination of seawater offers one agriculture (Mekonnen and Hoekstra,
option to increase the availability of water 2012). Although Africa’s livestock sector is
for human consumption and agricultural still primarily extensive (rather than
production. However, this technology is intensive industrialised production), this
still expensive and results in waste (high may change as the demand for animal-
salt concentrations) pose additional sourced foods increases with shifting
environmental problems (Ahmadi et al., urbanisation and changes in income in
2020). middle-income countries. Climate change
could affect future grazing capacities, lead
Investment and innovation will be to more migration of animal herds, and
necessary for low-cost yet efficient increase zoonotic diseases incidence
irrigation options to mitigate the impact of (MaMo Panel, 2020).
water scarcity and expand the availability
of diverse foods year-round. Hydroponic Livestock genetic improvement
production with recirculation of water and programmes, interventions to increase
nutrients in a closed system can reduce carbon sequestration in grasslands and
water consumption (Al Shrouf, 2017). These improved management of grazing lands
systems also allow the containment of could significantly increase productivity
plant diseases, particularly viruses, in and reduce greenhouse gas emissions
tropical regions. For example, drip (Gerber et al., 2013; Henderson et al., 2015).
irrigation delivers just the right amount of The use of high-quality forage grasses and
water, at a specific time, to a precise spot legumes offers a wide array of benefits,
from where the water will be best absorbed including higher livestock and crop
by the plant, producing “more crop per productivity, restoration of degraded land
drop”. Promoting the use of renewable through the accumulation of organic
energies in water desalination for matter in soils, and improvement of soil
agriculture use could offer competitive cost fertility through the fixation of
options for the delivery of modern energy atmospheric nitrogen and the inhibition of
and increase the use of non- conventional nitrification in the soil and a year-round
water resources to guarantee long-term supply of feedstock (Rao et al., 2015).
food security and socioeconomic stability. Indigenous feed resources can be
incorporated into feeds to promote self-
Livestock. Livestock is an important reliance. The available genetic variability of
element of millions of people’s livelihoods forage plants is still largely untapped and
in Africa’s pastoralist, mixed crop- largely underutilised (Sandhu et al., 2015).
livestock farming and commercial systems, Drought-tolerant Brachiaria grasses
offeringmultiple opportunities for income originated primarily in natural grasslands
and employment. Increases in demand for in Africa, yet they have only recently been
animal products in African countries re-introduced for commercial cultivation
outpace supply. Meeting this demand will in African countries at a significant scale. It
require substantial increases in production has been estimated that cows reared in
while reducing the environmental footprint Brachiaria pastures could increase by up to
of livestock production. Livestock 40% in Kenya and Rwanda than native
(including poultry, swine, sheep, goats, grasslands with spillover benefits further
6down the value chain (Maina et al., 2016). investigated the environmental
consequences of genetically improving
Emerging challenges in animal health growth rate and feed conversion in an
include improving resistance to disease and African catfish established that increases in
combating the misuse of antibiotics in feed conversion reduced the environmental
animal production systems (Kimera et al., footprint in all the scenarios tested (Besson
2020). An example of such pests is the et al., 2016). On the other hand, improving
trypanosome parasites. Trypanosomiasis growth rates had a beneficial
greatly restricts cattle rearing in 32 environmental impact only when rearing
countries of Sub-Saharan Africa, leading to density limited farm production. Both
losses due to lost animals and animal improvements raised farm productivity
products of between US$1 billion and US$6 (Besson et al., 2016). These results indicate
billion annually (Yaro et al., 2016). The that determining the genetic basis of feed
development of conventional vaccines efficiency in fish with potential for
against the parasite has been thwarted by commercial production in Africa is an
trypanosomes’ ability to continuously important research objective, but they also
change the antigenic properties of their show that breeding programmes need to be
surface coat and evade attack by the host’s complemented by studies to improve feed
immune system (Radwanska et al., 2008). quality and establish the best management
The discovery of innate resistance to practices to maximise productivity
trypanosomiasis in some African wild sustainably.
animals is linked to the presence of a
protein in their blood that kills Optimising the utilisation of indigenous crops,
trypanosomes, called APOL1, has opened livestock, fish and underutilised foods. Africa
new avenues of research (del Pilar Molina- has over 2,000 plant species that include
Portela et al., 2005), offering opportunities domesticated and semi-domesticated
to develop effective vaccines. native grains, roots, fruits and vegetables.
These are considered to be “lost” species
Fish is an important source of food and for rediscovery and exploitation in modern
nutrients as well as livelihoods in Africa. food systems owing to their natural health
Fish provides 19% of animal protein in and nutritional benefits and a variety of
African diets (Chan et al., 2019). Africa is a adaptive and resilient properties (National
net importer of fish (Chan et al., 2019). A Research Council, 1996). Many indigenous
threefold increase in production is needed crops have multiple edible parts such as
to meet expected demands in fish (Chan et leaves, fruit, seeds and roots. Many
al., 2019). Aquaculture, an emerging sector indigenous African livestock, fish and plant
in the continent, holds great potential for breeds are resilient to many risks and
rapidly increasing the amount of available adverse growing conditions (Mabhaudhi et
protein. Aquaculture production in Africa al., 2019). but are viewed as famine foods,
expanded at an average annual rate of foraged and turned to by the poor in
11.7% between 2000 and 2012 (nearly twice adverse situations. Yet, many of these foods
the global average rate of 6.2% (FAO, are described as ‘superfoods’. Optimal
2014a). Given the spatial and utilisation of nutritious indigenous and
environmental constraints, this will require traditional foods holds the potential for
improvements in efficiency, husbandry and diversifying Africa’s food systems,
increased investment in domestication and especially if more of these can be
development of new species for commercial domesticated and produced in larger
production alongside the genetic quantities. Yet, many highly nutritious
improvement of existing commercial African indigenous crops are threatened
stocks. Initiatives to genetically improve with extinction. On their own or included in
fish for aquaculture have so far been quite existing monoculture cropping systems,
limited. Of the 400 species cultured, 90 are these crops could support more
domesticated, and of these, only 18 (5%) sustainable, nutritious, and diverse food
have been the subject of significant genetic systems in marginalised agricultural
improvement programmes (Teletchea and environments (Mabhaudhi et al., 2019).
Fontaine, 2014). Genetic improvement can There is a need to collect and categorise
also reduce the environmental footprint of these underutilised crops and wild
aquaculture. For example, a study that populations of important plant species and
7combine these with modern molecular in Nigeria, Niger and Ghana; and drought-
breeding technologies. tolerant maize in Kenya (Mohammed et al.,
2014; Muli et al., 2016). Tissue culture can
There is an urgent need to create pride and play an important role in producing
demand for these foods and investment in disease-free planting material for
research and technology development vegetatively propagated crops such as
across the food system to integrate these banana and cassava (Akin-Idowu et al,
resources into the daily food basket of 2009; Kikulwe et al., 2016) and is an
African communities. The New Nordic essential tool for the conservation,
Cuisine (Nordic Council, undated) food improvement and mass production of
movement provides an example of how African indigenous crops (Opabode, 2017).
traditional food values can be revived and Marker-assisted selection has been used
cuisine modernised and developed to give a successfully to improve a variety of traits in
renewed appreciation of the wealth of crops in crops such as drought-tolerant
indigenous and traditional foods of high maize varieties (Beyene et al., 2016), Striga
nutritional and health value. resistant cowpeas in Nigeria and sorghum
in Sudan (Omoigui et al., 2017; Ali et al.,
Although not widely adopted in Africa, 2016). Marker-assisted selection has also
biotechnology (techniques to improve plants, been applied to developing crop varieties
animals, and microorganisms) offers many with higher nutritional contents
opportunities to improve productivity, (Andersson et al., 2017).
overcome abiotic (such as drought) and
biotic stresses (diseases and pests), and New advances in science offer
save time and effort for farmers in Africa. opportunities for the development and
For example, genetically modified crop mass production of microbes and microbial
varieties are labour-saving and reduce enzymes to enhance the quality and
agricultural production’s drudgery— efficiency of feed processing and utilisation
especially for women who are often tasked in the gut microbiome of livestock, which
with more labour-intensive tasks such as plays a crucial role in animal digestion and
weeding (Gouse et al., 2016). the resulting level of emission of
greenhouse gases (O’Callaghan et al., 2016).
Biotechnology can support food security in
B. Innovation in the processing and
the face of major challenges such as
packaging of foods
declining per capita availability of arable
land; lower productivity of crops, livestock
Transformation of the food system in Africa
and fisheries, heavy production losses due
demands that we harness STI to promote
to biotic (insects pests, weeds) and abiotic
product diversification with nutritious
(salinity, drought, alkalinity) stresses;
foods; processing to extend shelf life and
significant postharvest crop damage and a
make healthy foods easier to prepare, and
declining availability of water.
improved storage and preservation to
Biotechnology techniques that could be
retain nutritional value; ensure food safety;
applied include tissue culture; marker-
extend seasonal availability and reduce
assisted selection, which entails the
postharvest losses (including aflatoxin)
development of genetic markers to fast
and food waste (Hendriks and Covic, 2016).
track selection of natural traits in plant
These solutions should consider current
breeding the “omics” (sciences such as
changes in demand, predict future demand
genomics, and proteomics and
changes, and shape the African food
transcriptomics); the development of
system’s future in ways that will provide
diagnostics; genetic modification; and a
nutritious food for all.
newer set of tools collectively referred to as
the new plant breeding technologies
Preserving food and reducing food loss
(NASAC, 2018). Some examples of the
is an imperative part of an efficient and
application of biotechnology in Africa
sustainable food system. The growth of the
include the development of disease-
middle-class and increased urbanisation
resistant bananas and cassava; vitamin
are likely to increase demand for processed
enriched bananas and nitrogen-efficient
foods. However, limited and unreliable
rice in Uganda (Ainembabazi et al., 2015;
electricity supply may constrain the wide
Wagaba et al., 2016); insect tolerant cowpea
adoption of such technologies. Access to
8energy is crucial for the transformation and young children.
of Africa’s food systems and has a
transformative impact on the livelihoods Food safety is critical to the advancement
of the rural poor, reducing the drudgery of of foods systems. Poverty exacerbates the
their work and generating higher incomes problem since it leads to overdependence
(MaMo Panel, 2019a). Many options on one foodstuff and may lead to the
are emerging that Africa could benefit consumption of contaminated foods
from in terms of off-grid and mini-grid because of the lack of alternatives
technologies for hydro, wind, and solar (Shephard and Gelderblom, 2014). Evidence
power. on foodborne disease (FBD) in low and
middle-income countries (LMICs) is still
Postharvest handling and technologies limited, but important studies in recent
offer opportunities to reduce food losses years have broadened our understanding.
and waste, particularly in the African Grace (2015) reports that most of the
context where cold chains and refrigeration known burden of FBD disease in low
are largely missing (MaMo, 2019b) and and middle-income countries comes
seasonality leads to gluts and shortages of from biological hazards, primarily from
perishable goods. Many of these losses can fresh, perishable foods sold in informal
be prevented through proper training and markets (Grace, 2015). Testing is often
handling of goods, adopting appropriate expensive and constrains the approval,
tools or technologies, sound policies distribution and export of foods. The lack
and marketing-related improvements of suitable regulations to prevent food
(Statherset al., 2020). More investment contamination, or their poor enforcement
is also needed in developing and making when regulations exist (often applied to
available solar driers and agro-processing export goods, but not the domestic market)
equipment such as shellers and de-pulpers. combined with the low levels of capacity for
detecting food toxins, are serious concerns
Food processing has the potential to (Matumba et al., 2017). Rapid and cheap
contribute to the reduction of postharvest out-of-laboratory analytical techniques
losses, enhancement of food safety designed for field conditions can offer
and quality, creation of diversity, and solutions to these problems (Shephard
stabilisation of food supply, reducing and Gelderblom, 2014). An example is
the prevalence of seasonal hunger and fluorescence spectrophotometry for
improving market access. Food processing quantifying mycotoxin levels in grains and
can generate jobs and increase the raw groundnuts (Shephard, 2016) and the
retention of organic waste in farming Lab-on-Mobile-Device (LMD) platform
areas. Even simple processing methods that can accurately detect mycotoxins using
can transform perishable crops into a strip tests (Dobrovolny, 2013).
range of convenient, storable, value-
added products, which meet the needs More research and development is needed
of expanding markets (Muyonga, 2014). in packaging solutions to extend the shelf
Processing foods may smooth supplies life of food, thereby reducing enzymatic
but can create deleterious health activity and the growth of microorganisms
consequences (overweight, obesity and and preventing moisture loss and decay.
non-communicable diseases) depending Thermal processing has been widely
on their ingredients (trans fats, high employed in the food industry for food
sugar and sugar alternatives and excessive safety assurance and extending product
preservatives and other additives) shelf-life by inhibiting or inactivating
(Pot et al., 2017). On the other hand, microorganisms (Caminiti et al., 2011;
processing can also be used to create Stoica et al., 2013). Other technologies
products that address specific nutrition that could have significant benefits
needs. By blending staples and foods with for food safety in Africa include non-
complementary nutritional value and thermal inactivation technologies such
applying suitable processing procedures, as electromagnetic fields, pulsed electric
it is possible to develop nutrient- and fields, high-voltage discharge, pulsed light,
energy-enhanced foods to supplement ionising radiation, microwaves and cold
prevailing nutritionally inadequate diets, plasma (NASAC, 2019). Hybrid technologies
which are particularly important for infants and combinations of these methods have
9not yet been applied to the indigenous and Śliżewska, 2017) or decreasing the
food industry but could hold promise for concentration of antinutrient compounds
transforming African food systems. that may inhibit the absorption of nutrients
(for example, phytates and oxalates)
National agro-processing strategies (Popova and Mihaylova, 2019).
and interventions are needed to meet
the anticipated rise in demand for these Advances in gene sequencing technologies
foods. Some possible interventions include enable investigation of the complex
establishing agro-processing incubators, gut biome at both the genetic and
promoting local production of food functional (transcriptomic, proteomic
packaging materials, provision of fiscal and metabolic) levels. They can map
incentives, and promoting research aimed microbiome variability between species,
at developing appropriate processing individuals and populations, providing
technologies. new insights into the importance of the gut
microbiome in human health (Brunkwall
C. Improving human nutrition, health and
and Orho-Melander, 2017). Together with
productivity
studies of traditional diets that include
a wide range of herbal, medicinal and
Making more nutritious food options
fermented products from Africa’s wealth of
available to a wide range of consumers is
indigenous foods, these offer opportunities
another pathway to influencing nutritional
for understanding how foods and the gut
outcomes. This can include public and
biome interact to protect human health and
private sector investment in research and
immunity.
innovation of technologies and processes
that improve foods’ nutritional value. D. Addressing fragility and instability
Recent advances in gene sequencing
technologies enable investigation of the Climate change and increasing competition
complex gut biome at both the genetic for key resources such as land and water
and functional (transcriptomic, proteomic provoke violence and armed conflicts,
and metabolic) levels and can map exacerbating the vicious circle of hunger
microbiome variability between species, and poverty (FAO et al., 2020). Conflict
individuals and populations, providing disrupts food production, blocks the flow
new insights into the importance of the of food and humanitarian aid, and drives
gut microbiome in human health. Together food prices beyond the level of affordability
with studies of traditional diets that include (NASAC, 2018). COVID-19, climate change,
a wide range of herbal, medicinal and conflict (including that between farmers
fermented products from Africa’s wealth of and herdsmen) and protracted crises could
indigenous foods, these offer opportunities increase hunger and child malnutrition
for understanding how foods and the gut and reverse the gains achieved over
biome interact to protect human health and the past two decades. As part of the
immunity. broader considerations for local-global
interconnectedness in food systems, future
Food fortification initiatives such as salt food production must be achieved with a
iodisation, adding vitamin A to cooking lower impact on the environment (German
oil and multivitamin mixes to maize et al., 2016) and more efficient use of inputs
flour, as well as the bio-fortification of and land.
crops such as the varieties of vitamin-A-
enriched orange-flesh sweet potato, offer Addressing these critical challenges will
options for reaching a high proportion require an integrated approach that deals
of the population. More research is with issues about the sustainable use of
needed into which African crops could natural resources (including water, energy,
benefit from breeding programmes for soils); increasing the productivity of crops
biofortification to diversify the food and livestock; expanding the number of
basket and preserve the genetic diversity species used for food production to include
of nutritious traditional crops. Breeding, neglected indigenous crops, and promoting
processing and additives such as prebiotics diversification in livelihood activities.
and probiotics offer the potential for Environmental protection is essential for
enhancing the bioavailability of nutrients preserving the production potential of
for absorption and metabolism (Markowiak agriculture in Africa.
10E. A data revolution for greater access to provision of highly disaggregated geo-
information and transparent monitoring referenced data that can play an important
and accountability systems role in monitoring contexts such as climate
change, disease patterns and early warning
The complex nature of food systems systems. Communication science offers
demands transdisciplinary collaboration opportunities for exploring how to deploy
and inter-sectoral governance. ICT can digital media and improve communication
enhance learning between stakeholders in systems to share knowledge at all levels.
the system as well as between disciplines
to support innovation and the emergence The role of ICT in rapid identification
of practical technologies that arise from of pests and diseases and mapping of
transdisciplinary collaboration. their locations and spread are important
tools for managing and mitigating risks
Evidence-based policies and planning due to the spread of pests and diseases
require extensive and up-to-date data. (Christaki, 2015) and for increasing the
There is an urgent need to strengthen awareness and preparedness of farmers,
national and regional institutional especially as much of the African food
capacities for knowledge, data generation, chain is informal. Investment in qualified
and management that support evidence- staff within government, extension, and
based planning, implementation, and supporting research institutes is crucial,
monitoring and evaluation (Bahiigwa with a particular need for investment in
et al., 2016). ICT innovations also offer young researchers and entrepreneurs.
multiple opportunities for improving Comprehensive soil mapping is necessary
and optimising food systems that could to address the deficiencies through
support the establishment of “big data” appropriate soil improvement practices
systems, analysis and reporting of and the cultivation of the most suitable
cross-sectoral data, and monitoring and crops for each area. Overlaying these
evaluation of implementation. Therefore, with weather and crop suitability maps
more significant investment is needed can provide hands-on information to
in more and better data, and inclusive farmers through mobile technology.
annual national and subnational reporting Mobile technology could be used to
mechanisms need to be developed and improve early warning systems and
implemented to assess progress on dissemination of knowledge. One example
commitments for food security and is the Participatory Integrated Climate
nutrition outcomes and actions in a timely Services for Agriculture, which can help
way (Hendriks and Covic, 2016). farmers make informed decisions based
on accurate, location-specific, climate
Collecting, managing and reporting data and weather information combined with
requires extensive information systems. the locally relevant crop, livestock and
“Big data” systems offer opportunities to livelihood options, and participatory tools
analyse vast datasets to reveal patterns, (Dayamba et al., 2018).
trends and associations, especially in
multi-sectoral applications such as those Satellite Earth Observations as a novel
seen in the SGDs and national performance opportunities of the ICT revolution,
and monitoring situations related to food combined with in-situ data, provide
systems through innovative approaches a source of consistent and reliable
and algorithms. Some applications include information to benefit the water, energy,
fraud and risk detection, logistic planning and food Sustainable Development. Such
in programmes and price comparisons, observations are necessary to begin
as well as predictive and proactive health understanding the complex feedback
disease and health management systems processes between the natural environment
(NASAC, 2018). and human activities (FAO, 2014)b.
Public awareness of the problems, ICT can solve many of the current
hazards and solutions is essential. Cloud constraints about access to information,
computing allows for crowdsourcing data analysis, predictions and early
and the active participation of citizens in warning. Innovations in mobile
mutual accountability systems and the technology can overcome many trade and
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