Sustainable Agrifood System
Engineering

Department of Bioresource Engineering,
McGill University

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Winter 2023


New research findings provide evidence for multistakeholder engagement to support sustainable nutrition interventions in Africa

simple white desk on a white wall with a plant on the far right side

July 28, 2023

In a Nutrition Sensitive Programming project conducted in Zambia and Malawai, the project team translated the results of the project implementation and findings into publications. Below is an abstract of the lessons learnt which could be translated into future nutrition interventions in other developing countries.

Background In addressing the growing challenge of malnutrition, many governments, donors, and international organizations have committed to supporting large-scale programs to speed up global nutrition targets. However, food systems differ in size and structure from one country to another and between rural and urban areas, which might affect nutrition program success, especially in developing countries.

Goal/Objective In this study, we developed and tested an integrated field and model-based framework to assess nutrition, health, environment, and time burden to support the sustainable implementation of interventions within a local food system. Then, we examined the influence of stakeholder priorities in harmony with SDGs 2 and 12 on contextual drivers for selecting an optimal food processing method to introduce into meal preparation. The framework was designed considering nutrient profiling, environmental impact assessment, and multicriteria modeling and executed on the “Strengthening Capacity of Local Actors in the Nutrition-Sensitive Agri-food Value Chain” project in Zambia and Malawi.

Findings The results suggest that stakeholders' priorities substantially influence the method adopted n a local food system. Additionally, there are inevitable trade-offs, such as time burden/gain , fuel and water consumption, and lower/greater micronutrient levels during food processing and meal preparation that compete with nutrition program objectives; nonetheless, these trade-offs must be embraced to achieve sustainable food systems.

Implications Furthermore, nutrient leakages observed due to varying local processing and preparation raise concerns about the sustained efforts by international organizations. If confirmed in other regions, implies that investments during nutrition programs are wasted somewhere in the system due to inefficiencies at the household level.