Strengthening African FOOD Systems in the face of climate change and food insecurity – SAFOODS

The SAFOODS project uses a combination of quantitative survey methods, based on secondary or project-generated data, and qualitative survey methods. Statistical analyses are carried out on consumption databases of hundreds of households to identify the main determinants of F&V consumption by the poorest urban households. Quantitative surveys are also conducted among retailers and wholesalers to identify the main critical points of post-harvest losses linked to climatic parameters throughout the commodity chain, and to identify the loss risk management strategies implemented by operators. Qualitative methods (focus groups, semi-structured interviews) are used to better understand consumers' perceptions of their food environment in working-class neighbourhoods in the target cities, as well as producers' practices in the production basins.

The project also adopts a participatory approach with all food system stakeholders to reflect on scenarios for the evolution of these systems in the context of climate change by 2025.5 Participatory workshops are also organised with stakeholders to co-design technical and organisational innovations that will make it possible to strengthen the resilience of food systems in the face of climate change.

In addition, SAFOODS proposes an original approach to analysing the functioning of food systems, which consists of starting with consumers and their places of purchase, and then moving up the supply chain with retailers and wholesalers to the production basins. This upstream approach puts consumers and food safety and nutritional issues at the heart of the analysis of food systems. In addition, in the production basins, product flows to urban markets in the target cities, export markets, processing, or what is lost, are estimated in order to put local commodity chains into perspective with other commodity chains.

Finally, SAFOODS aims to contribute to the development of F&V research in both food security and climate change work. Most studies on food security, nutrition and climate change tend to focus on cereals and SAFOODS aims to contribute to filling the gap in F&V research.

Statistical analyses of F&V consumption show that price is the most important factor in the decision to buy fruit and vegetables in both Senegal and Côte d'Ivoire. Focus groups conducted with female consumers living in the poor district of Ziguinchor also confirm that price is the main factor influencing food purchases, particularly for vegetables and fruit. Fruit (desserts) is little consumed by households living in poor neighbourhoods, who consider it too expensive and intended for people with comfortable incomes. In addition to price, quality, interpersonal relations and trust, especially the possibility of obtaining credit for their purchases, are important factors for consumers in their choice of vendors. The survey of F&V sales outlets in the target districts shows that the vast majority of retailers are women.

The situation in Senegal and Côte d'Ivoire differs significantly in terms of the main types of F&V sales outlets (market, off-market stand, itinerant, etc.). In both countries, the type of sales outlet differs according to the product sold. In Côte d'Ivoire, tomatoes and leafy vegetables are mainly sold in markets, while mangoes are sold outside markets. In Senegal, tomato and leafy vegetable sellers are more or less equally divided between 'in' and 'out' of the market, while mango sellers are mostly located outside the market. The conditions of sale of F&V do not protect the quality of the products from climatic risks. In Côte d'Ivoire, in both cities, retailers are mainly supplied by wholesalers or semi-wholesalers at the wholesale markets, whatever the product. In Senegal, supply methods differ between the two cities. In Pikine, the situation is similar to that in Côte d'Ivoire, with almost all supplies coming from wholesalers or semi-wholesalers. In Ziguinchor, on the other hand, the sources of supply are much more diversified.

In the mango production areas of Côte d'Ivoire, production is mainly carried out by small producers whose main objective is to export to Europe and, to a lesser extent, to markets in the sub-region. Côte d'Ivoire has a large traditional mango orchard throughout the country, with low yields (< 6 t/ha) compared to other countries such as Mali or Senegal (20 t/ha) and Cape Verde (40 t/ha).

The participatory approach adopted by the project, with all food system stakeholders including decision-makers, as well as the organisation of policy dialogues, offers favourable prospects for the appropriation of research results and the implementation of recommendations that will be formulated by the stakeholders concerned.

The co-design of technical and organisational innovations with food system stakeholders, based on the good practices they already implement, should ensure that the proposed innovations are realistic.

In addition, the economic and institutional conditions for the large-scale implementation of the identified innovations will also be studied in a participatory manner with the stakeholders. To this end, an analysis of policies and public policy instruments that are favourable or unfavourable to innovations will be conducted. This work should help to ensure that the policy recommendations formulated by the project are also realistic and can be implemented by the actors concerned.

Several scientific publications are currently being developed. They focus in particular on the results of the statistical analysis of fruit and vegetable consumption by poor urban consumers in both Côte d'Ivoire and Senegal.

Food and nutrition insecurity is a worldwide problem that particularly affects Sub-Saharan Africa today. By 2050 West African countries will face rapid demographic growth and urbanization while stronger climaterelated constraints on food systems (FS); hence the urgent need to propose adaptations of African FS. Despite their importance for health, fruits and vegetables (F&V) are poorly considered in most food security and climate change studies. SAFOODS project considers the need for reshaping West-African F&V FS to sustainably contribute to food and nutrition security, with an emphasis on poor urban consumers. The main objective is to assess climate change-related risks on F&V FS and to co-design innovations with actors of food chains. Two complementary strategies will be explored: the reduction of Food Loss and Waste (FLW) and the diversification of both cropping systems and foodsheds. The project will focus on two city-region FS in two countries facing food security challenges and a gradient of climatic situations: Dakar and Ziguinchor in Senegal, Yamoussoukro and Abidjan in Ivory Coast. The case of international chains and risks of climate change on the UK FS will also be studied. SAFOODS approach is to work downstream to upstream, starting from urban consumers’ diets then tracing back and mapping the food chains, and then identifying critical points where climate change may threaten flows of production and FLW. Using mixed methodologies (surveys, maps, food chains and FS analysis, simulations with quantitative models, foresights with actors) outputs will include scientific knowledge, identification of innovations, capacity building and an overall shared vision with actors of African FS for the future. An interdisciplinary consortium (agronomists, food scientists, nutritionists, economists, social scientists, and policy experts) comprises ISRA-Bame (Senegal), NRI (United Kingdom), UNA (Ivory Coast) and CIRAD (France), with CIRAD as the Project Coordinator.