The University’s focus on research that addresses the big challenges of society is exemplified by the work of the recently launched African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) Centre of Excellence for Food Security. The centre, under the directorship of Prof. Hettie Schönfeldt, is seeking solutions to address food insecurity in Africa. Food insecurity refers to not having reliable access to sufficient amounts of safe and nutritious food. Finding solutions to this pressing problem is a challenging task as the relationship between the causes and consequences of food insecurity and malnutrition is complex.

According to the 2018 Global Nutrition Report, Africa is hardest hit by the overlapping forms of malnutrition. Of the 41 countries that struggle with the three forms of malnutrition, 30 are in Africa. Prof. Schönfeldt says that even though African countries may produce and import enough energy per person per day, it does not ensure nourished communities. High intakes of low-cost, low-nutrient, higher-energy staple foods contribute to malnutrition. Food waste and loss further reduce the availability of safe and preferable food. The continent is also faced with poverty, inequality and unemployment. In many African countries, large proportions of the population rely on agriculture not only for food, but for their livelihoods too. “A transformed agricultural and food system is necessary to address this challenge,” she says.

“To accomplish this, there’s an urgent need for a far greater focus on the full value chain, from concept to commercialisation, bridging the innovation chasm. To ensure progress, such an approach requires the coordination of a range of stakeholders, including academics, indigenous knowledge holders, industry, science organisations and governments in Africa.”

Through the establishment of the Centre of Excellence, a network of researchers was formed to achieve a critical mass of researchers who work synergistically to address the problem. The centre brings together a consortium of African and international partners that will conduct research on how to improve Africa’s herds and revive underutilised crops, as well as research ways to produce safe, nutritious, consumer-centred food. It will also provide technical advice on policy issues.

The centre was awarded to UP with the University of Nairobi and the University of Ghana as partners, and the Universities of the Western Cape and Fort Hare as associate members. The Centre of Excellence will also partner with several role players to conduct research, including the South African Agricultural Research Council, the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development, the Food and Natural Resources Policy Advocacy Network, the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy, and the African Women in Agricultural Research and Development. This means the centre will increase the networks of each participating institution and heighten the transfer of knowledge, which will ultimately have an effect on food policy in Africa.