As the world convenes in Rwanda for the Africa Food Systems Forum (AFS Forum) to discuss practical ways of transforming African food systems by unleashing their full potential, one of the key areas of focus is improving access to healthy and nutritious foods for the continent.
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There is no doubt Africa remains the cradle for healthy foods, but with the fast-evolving nature of the economies, and the emergency of artificial methods of growing and producing food fast amass, using genetically modified means and chemical fertilisers - access to organic nutritious foods is shrinking fast.
Several studies in Sub-Saharan Africa have shown that with the increasing cost of food, particularly in the post-Covid-19 era, compounded by global crises and conflicts, many households cannot afford a healthy nutritious diet.
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For many people like Evelyne Murebwayire, a resident of Remera in Gasabo District, given the increasing cost of food and other basic needs, fruits and vegetables have become scarce items on the family menu due to the cost, resorting to buying grain flour alternatives and beans to sustain the family.
"Previously, I used to ensure that I buy fruits and vegetables on the way home, but now 1 kilogram of mangoes costs about Rwf3000, which is equivalent to two kilograms of any flour. That is too expensive," says Murebwayire, who runs a shop adjacent to the market.
"The price of vegetables and fruits in Kimironko market where I used to shop from has gone up over the past three years, with many expats and visitors, who know the value of organic foods frequenting the market," she adds.
With schools reopening, Murebwayire says her household has also cut off items such as meat, whose price increased from Rwf4000 to Rwf5000 per kilogram currently, in less than two years.
Often, the most common meal in her household is potatoes and cassava bread - locally known as 'ubugali', accompanied by beans - perhaps with droppings of greens and egg plants, which are pretty much organic alternatives, but the combination falls short of being a balanced diet.
Murebwayire's reality echoes in many households grappling with the rising food prices and limited resources to afford a balanced diet.
At the AFSF 2024, several sessions are focusing on how African countries can prioritise building and strengthening food systems that put healthy and nutritious foods at the forefront.
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Eating healthy and nutritious foods would not only help the continent address the challenge of malnutrition, which costs Africa billions of dollars due to the higher healthcare costs and loss of productivity, but it will also help build healthy populations.
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It is believed that with limited access to healthy organic foods, micronutrient deficiencies become a silent killer of children and adults -affecting mental acuity and overall growth.
On the other hand, unhealthy options are increasingly leading to people becoming overweight and obese, taking a toll on their health and productivity, and directly affecting the labour force along food system value chains.
At the forum, discussions are centred on how the continent can invest in nutrition, as both a moral imperative and a sound economic investment as well as comprehensive and innovative approaches to boost food production.
For Benjamin Byinshi, a Food Fellow, the forum in Kigali and the leaders present have to discuss ways of how access to healthy and nutritious foods can remain affordable for ordinary citizens.
"It is a pertinent conversation. Building resilient food systems means improving access and affordability where consumers can make food-related decisions without being hampered by the issue of cost,"
"As young people, we believe leaders have what it takes to change this, whether through policies and food systems programs that provide affordable healthy food options for the masses," Byinshi says.
With Africa's food systems facing significant social, economic, and environmental challenges, Byinshi says many Rwandans and Africans at large find themselves often lacking access to adequate, nutritious, and diverse food at fair prices.
Byinshi says policy changes and collaborative efforts between governments and the private sector, particularly initiatives that support the youth and smallholder farmers, can help to ramp up productivity, boost access and cut down on costs.
A healthy nation built on healthy foods
Organic foods are largely key in combating non-communicable disease because they contain less chemicals, pesticides and hormones that can impact the human body.
Leah Mfiteyesu, a nutritionist and dietician, argues that as the world continues to debate whether production of GMOs can be scaled to meet the increasing demand or focusing on producing more organic food is a challenge the world needs to address today, not tomorrow.
"We have important choices to make but most importantly it is upon us to choose what to eat and when to eat it. We know well the importance of organic foods and the effects non-organic foods have on our bodies," says Mfiteyesu.
She explains that eating organic foods alone is not enough because even organic foods if not well managed can lead to other conditions such as obesity and being overweight.
While Mfiteyesu says that Rwanda is still safe because people still eat mainly organic foods, processed and sugary foods are becoming more popular and affordable for many, which young people are more attached to.
"It is something we need to be alert to. We are seeing more artificial and processed foods on the market and people just eat without paying much attention to what they are taking in or whether they are eating the right foods,"
"We need to be keen on what we eat, because we still have options. We can find whole grain foods, protein-rich foods that are less on fats and most importantly, drink the right drinks and eat foods less on fat and cholesterol," Mfiteyesu adds.
Similarly, Dr Sognigbe N'Danikou, a scientist working with the World Vegetable Centre, says that growing and eating vegetables remains the most economically viable way for Africans to continue eating healthy and the continent achieving the 'zero hunger' goal.
"By far, Africa is home to many vegetables that are highly nutritious and easy to grow and if we can focus on growing more vegetables, consequently we can keep the prices low and make them more affordable for all," argues Sognigbe.
This is mainly so because vegetables grow fast, require limited space and can be resistant to droughts and effects of climate change, which threaten the resilience of food systems across the globe.
Also read: Inside Rwanda's Rwf154 bn budget for climate change adaptation
At the forum, experts are exploring ways of leveraging youth innovations for sustainable and healthy diets in Africa, the necessary investments and policy innovations needed to successfully harness the many opportunities offered by Africa's agrifood system for the continent's growing youth population.
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Sharon Nzula Wambua, Project Coordinator of Lattice Aquaculture Ltd, a Kenya-based youth-led agriculture start-up, says that youth-led innovations can play a significant role in contributing to enhancing food security and nutrition.
"As young people, we have technological solutions that can boost sustainable agricultural practices and community driven initiatives that can help to cut down the cost of organic foods, as opposed to processed and ready-to-eat foods which can be more affordable," says Wambua, also a food fellow.
She urges leaders to take decisions at AFSF 2024 that would make it easy for young people to join the agriculture sector to grow more natural foods to meet the increased demand and at the same time generate employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for the youth.
Like Wambua, Byinshi argues that Africa's growing youth population in local agribusinesses have what it takes to change the tide with solutions that can that can help to address seasonal shortages in food supply, stabilise market prices, diversify markets for agricultural products, reduce postharvest losses and unlock demand for nutritious foods.
During the forum, the Global Nutrition Report will be tabled to discuss the critical role of transforming agrifood systems and climate action in line with achieving the 2030 nutrition and health targets -the progress thus far.
As the continent works to address the ever-increasing demand for healthy nutritious foods, the issue of cost is becoming a pertinent one and an issue that many African countries are finding themselves grappling with.
