Transforming Rural Food Systems in Local Communities in West Africa

Lead Organization:

Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique du Niger

Community of Practice:

West Africa

Countries:

Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali

Duration:

11/2024—11/2027

Overview:

The West African Sahel is vulnerable to widespread food and nutrition insecurity, non-empowerment of rural youth and women, and low level of incomes associated with poverty (WFP, 2019). Childhood malnutrition ranged from 17.1% in rural communities in Burkina Faso, to 30.4% in Mali, and 42.2 % in Niger (UNICEF, https://reliefweb.int/organization/unicef/2023; UNDP, http://hdr.undp.org/en/2018-update/countries). Processing of local grains to nutritionally-fortified products is limited or non-existent in rural areas. Rural women and youth technology adopters have had limited access to cost effective and socially innovative food processing and nutrition technologies, mainly caused by lack of an effective systems approach to realize the potential of the market side of nutritious food value-chains. 

In the last 12 years, a critical focus of our project supported by McKnight Foundation and USAID SMIL has been on design of a rural food system that leverages appropriate and scalable processing and fortification technologies to develop locally appreciated and marketable nutritious, safe, and quality foods. Markets have been built through women associations and entrepreneurship with the ultimate outcome of creating rural markets, and to drive documentable nutritional impact to at-risk populations. The novelty of the program rests in a cost-effective technology-based support system for rural women and youth. Rural women’s processor associations were formed first in Niger (and then Burkina Faso and Mali), and cost- effective and low-cost science-backed fortified foods were developed using locally available nutrient-rich plant materials to match local tastes and preferences. Consumer preference testing identified fortified-product formulations that children like to eat and preferred to corn-soy+ blend distributed as food aid.  

As a testament to the success of the initiative, at the original 4 Niger primary sites the women processor associations (30-40 women each) self-initiated training programs of other women groups that extended processing enterprise activities up to 100 km from the primary sites and increased number of women processors and additional ~ 800 by 2023. Presently there are 27 active processing sites in Niger.

In our 2023 nutritional assessment survey (3000 participants), diet quality, measured by World Food Program Food Consumption Scores, was significantly higher in intervention communities compared to matched controls. Geographical spread through a self-scaling activity of women training other women similarly improved nutritional indicators. Notably, diet diversity indicators increased significantly more than food expenditure, suggesting that the presence of both the incubation system and improved products created significant positive change. Linkages were made with rural health centers, refugees’ camps, and schools. Sales and profits have grown and became stable over the last 4-5 years of the project. 

This project is well networked with CRFS projects on seed systems, breeding, and Cowpea Square, Child Nutrition, and Women Field. 

Building on past successes, the proposed project aims to expand this effort through improved and more competitive fortified products that link improved AEI varieties to formulations, scaling rural food processing and nutritional impact up, out and deep, a focus on sustainability for an enhanced circular economy, and an engagement with policymakers.

Grant Aims:

  • Scale up the production and distribution of fortified, locally-produced foods in rural areas.
  • Improve the nutritional value and market competitiveness of fortified products.
  • Strengthen circular economies by utilizing food byproducts and reinforcing partnerships.
  • Empower rural women and youth through training in food processing, business management, and marketing.
  • Foster policy engagement to integrate these solutions into national food systems.

Outputs and Outcomes:

Outputs

  • Objective 1:
    • Aflatoxin and microbial levels monitored and food safety capacity enhanced.
    • Nutrient content and food-making ability of new agroecological varieties assessed.
    • Product formulations adjusted to match nutrient shortfalls and improve market acceptance.
  • Objective 2:
    • Increased number of rural Food Innovation Centers.
    • Strengthened capacity of women’s processing associations.
    • Youth and women trained in new data management, digital apps, and marketing techniques.
  • Objective 3:
    • Strengthened local circular economies through new collaborations and use of food byproducts.
    • Monitoring of animal product uses (e.g., goat milk, cheese) and partnerships with projects like Mercy Corps.
  • Objective 4:
    • Reinforced partnerships with local authorities and new organizations (e.g., AfriCAN).
    • Expansion of collaboration with organizations working with refugees to facilitate distribution.
    • Government and regional policymakers engaged to scale up rural food processing for greater nutritional impact.

Outcomes

  • Fortified food products with improved nutrient quality, safety, and competitiveness are widely accessible to local communities.
  • Strengthened partnerships with organizations like AfriCAN contribute to improved nutritional outcomes.
  • Increased participation of youth and women in entrepreneurial activities, driving sales of fortified foods.
  • Sustainability achieved through the strengthening of circular market systems.
  • Improved integration of the project model into local, national, and regional policies for greater food system transformation and nutritional impact.