At a recent webinar hosted by Young Professionals for Agricultural Development, experts called for youth involvement in transforming Africa’s neglected, climate-resilient indigenous crops into profitable food systems.
Under the theme “Innovative today, nourish tomorrow”, they discussed the importance of Africa’s agricultural value chain, indigenous African food heritage, agro-processing, market access, nutritional innovation, food safety, and the need to transform livelihoods toward sustainability and access to nutritious food products.
Opportunity to transform indigenous crops
Chief executive officer of the Pan African Farmers Organisation (PAFO), Dr Babafemi Oyewole, highlighted the importance of addressing African farmer mobilisation and called for action on indigenous and underutilised crop value chains.
“Africa is a continent of extraordinary agricultural biodiversity. Many of these nutritious, climate-resilient crops remain neglected.
“Africa is sitting on a treasure of agricultural biodiversity while millions of its people face hunger, malnutrition and unemployment. This must change. Africa’s young people represent our greatest opportunity to transform indigenous crops from neglected agricultural resources into competitive, nutritious, profitable food products,” he said.
Strategies to fight food insecurity
Meanwhile, Dr Manyewu Mutamba, the senior programme officer at the African Union Development Agency–New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD), explained more about the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP).
“They broaden the ambition for the continent, in addition to ending hunger and malnutrition, and dealing with poverty. They also started to look at this as an opportunity to triple intra-Africa trade, [and] build resilience because at that time climate change had started to really pose a serious threat to food security, to livelihoods on the continent,” he said.
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Programme manager for policy research and analysis at Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN), Dr Rachel Mkandawire, said the continent had planned strategies to improve the agricultural sector and fight food insecurity and malnutrition.
“For many years countries in the region have committed themselves to improving agricultural productivity, food security and nutrition through continental and regional frameworks.
“South Africa has a diverse portfolio of indigenous food and traditionally consumed foods, each with different levels of research, production and also market development. Out of these, sorghum is one of the more established examples; it has a long history of cultivation and consumption, as well as existing research, processing and capacity,” she explained.
Making healthier food choices
Ezinne Sarah Otisi, an indigenous food researcher and founder of Agro Food Heritage Initiative, highlighted the importance for young farmers in growing, safeguarding and conserving African food.
“Young farmers are the future of our food system, and the earlier they start to embrace our local food, is the better for us. Because growing our indigenous foods offers a lot of benefits across nutrition, environment, economic stability, and cultural preservation.
“Indigenous foods are nutrient-dense and rich in essential vitamins, protein, fibre, and micronutrients. They are rich in minerals and antioxidants that can help fight malnutrition in our various communities, and also chronic deficiencies,” she said.
On the other hand, Enele Zulu-Ndlovu, the project specialist at the Centre for Community Impact associated with the Meatless Monday initiative, noted that the strategy encourages consumers to embrace diverse nutritious and sustainable food choices.
“We are also seeing barriers to healthy food choices, in addition to food insecurity in the country. But we are also seeing the competition around the negative promotion of the fast-food industry.
“We are implementing some of our programme in urban areas; you know, urban areas are more of very mobility areas. People are working, so they are coming late at home. They would prefer to make convenient food choices, where they buy fast food instead of preparing a healthy meal,” she said.
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