Healthy Diets 4 Africa – HD4A

Combating malnutrition in Africa through diversification of the food system – HealthyDiets4Africa

HealthyDiets4Africa is a project proposed by a transdisciplinary consortium that aims at harnessing the potential of diversification of food systems for combating malnutrition and enhancing food and nutrition security.

Our central hypothesis is that diversification of different elements of the food chain will improve nutritional health outcomes and reduce malnutrition levels in Africa, while at the same time entailing economic and ecological benefits.

Our overarching objective is thus to establish diversified food systems in eight Western, Central and Eastern African countries.

Our specific objectives revolve around this central aim and are summarised below:

1. Characterize the diversity of diets across sub-Saharan Africa for different age groups, genders, locations, and socio-economic levels
2. New metrics and indicators are available, which best describe the perceived food environment, and associated risk factors for malnutrition
3. A database of nutrient composition data of commonly used food items as well as novel and/or underutilized crops
4. Innovations developed for the sustainable diversification of food production
5. Increase consumer acceptance of novel foods and diversified diets in order to foster behavioral change
6. Enhancing food safety through dietary diversification and exposure assessment
7. Evaluation of the nutrition-related health effects of diversified diets based on indigenous and novel foods
8. Scaling infrastructure established to promote approaches towards diversified food systems
9. Enabling better policy environment and strengthening stakeholders’ capacities on all relevant levels to promote informed decision-making processes