West African scientists get to grips with food systems research

Per Rudebjer, Scientist in Capacity Strengthening at Bioversity International, reports from a hands-on training workshop in Benin.

The food we eat connects agriculture and human nutrition, but the two sectors are surprisingly segregated. Agriculturists might promote high yielding varieties or high-value crops to increase production and raise income, whereas nutritionists may be looking at staples enriched with micro-nutrients to combat malnutrition.

Only quite recently has the concept of a food systems approach to nutrition gained broader recognition.A clear example is a recent book on Sustainable Diets and Biodiversity, jointly published by FAO and Bioversity International. The need to understand food systems calls for initiatives to increase collaboration between agriculture and nutrition specialists, and to build capacity for integrated food systems research.

This is exactly what was took place recently in Cotonou, Benin, at a training course on Food systems: from agronomy to human health. Twenty-two young scientists from Benin, Ghana, Nigeria and Senegal and representing both agriculture and nutrition were selected in a competitive call. All of them work on neglected and underutilized species (NUS) of crops and fruits and they brought in their own experiences from a broad range of research fields.

During the course, the nutritionists became familiar with research methods in agricultural biodiversity, while the agriculturists gained insights into nutritional research approaches. Both groups became aware of the importance and potential of a holistic food systems view. A field day in the village of Golo-Fanto, 20 km from Cotonou in Abomey-Calavi District, gave an opportunity to practice household survey techniques such as a 7-day food recall and the measurement of body size.

To reinforce learning and practical application, we used two case studies to practice research proposal writing in multidisciplinary groups: bio-fortified cassava in Nigeria and fonio, an underutilized cereal, in Benin. For scientists mostly used to working in a narrower specialized field this was a new approach and an eye-opener. As one participant put it, “in all my research proposals, I will surely include a food systems approach. It is very important”. They also recognized the power of teamwork: “I now know how useful it is to collaborate with other fields of study as a research scientist to make good impact,” was one testimony.

The quality and diversity of our daily diet matter. If, along with the staples, people eat a broader range of food types - such as a blend of vegetables, legumes, fruits and animal-sourced foods - nutrition and health stand to gain. Awareness of the nutritional benefits of local agricultural biodiversity would also have a positive impact on their cultivation and selection. As the participants returned to their home institutions, they resolved to share the new insights with colleagues by holding a seminar and training others.

Such sharing of knowledge is in line with the overall objectives of a larger 3-year project on developing research capacity in Sub-Saharan Africa on NUS crops, supported by the European Union (EU) and the Africa Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Science and Technology Programme.

The course was organized by Bioversity International and the EU-ACP project partner in Benin, the Institut de Recherché et de Développment sur la Biodiversité des Plantes Cultivées, Aromatiques et Médicinales (IRDCAM). The course was also supported by the CGIAR Research Programs on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health, and on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security. The scientists who attended the workshop are now better placed to play a role in both research and knowledge sharing in their home countries and institutions, and to make more effective partners in CGIAR Research Programmes. The course will be repeated for Eastern and Southern Africa in 2013.