Africa’s agricultural and food systems are facing major challenges due to rapid population growth and climate change, threatening both crop and livestock production. However, strategic sustainable food systems can help address these issues. These were some of the key points raised by Professor Francis Petersen, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Pretoria (UP), during the launch of the Africa-Europe Cluster of Research Excellence on Sustainable Food Systems (CoRE-SFS), which aims to tackle food system challenges through collaborative research and transformation.

The 20 CoREs were established by ARUA (African Research Universities Alliance) and the Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities in 2023 with the aim of enhancing cooperation in science, technology and innovation between Africa and Europe for the next decade. The strategy includes bringing together the best researchers from both continents – partners from 120 institutions across 42 countries in Africa and Europe are involved. The CoRE-SFS co-led by UP focuses on food systems transformation.

“To achieve this, universities must lead the way in exploring new methods, sharing knowledge and innovations, and driving the changes necessary to tackle the complexities facing our continent and the world,” Prof Petersen said. “Humanity is undermining its sustainability through rising levels of unemployment, hunger, poverty, worsening inequality, environmental degradation, biodiversity loss, the climate crisis, conflict, gender inequality, geopolitical instability and threats to democracy – all of which are interconnected and reflected in the priority challenges outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals and Africa Agenda 2063.

“As African universities, we need to significantly enhance our research capacity and establish long-term, equitable research collaborations to strengthen and develop the continent’s scientific capabilities. We must produce a greater number of future-skilled graduates and PhDs to promote sustainability and economic development across the continent. The generation of PhDs in every field is essential for creating patents, translating research findings into growth and improvement opportunities, and training the next generation of postgraduates.”

CoRE-SFS is officially situated within UP’s Future Africa transdisciplinary platform, which was launched by the University of Pretoria in 2019 to foster high-quality global partnerships and collaborative research and learning, utilising the benefits of digital access. Future Africa’s ConnectUs community currently comprises over 620 researchers. It operates across various scientific fields and disciplines, engaging with society to tackle Africa’s most pressing contemporary challenges.

The Future Africa Research Chair in Sustainable Food Systems, established in January 2021 in collaboration with international partners, is led by Professor Frans Swanepoel, who also serves as Co-Lead for CoRE-SFS, alongside Professor Alberto Credi and Professor Luca Fontanesi from the University of Bologna in Italy.

Prof Fontanesi, Co-Lead of CoRE-SFS at the University of Bologna, urged all stakeholders involved in the CoRE to adopt a visionary approach to identifying strategic solutions for creating sustainable food systems. He emphasised that numerous research infrastructures and facilities available through ARUA and the Guild institutions can be leveraged to support CoRE-SFS in addressing urgent challenges.

CoRE-SFS engages in collaborative research on transforming food systems and their impacts, guided by an action plan that identifies four priority areas: climate-smart agriculture; nutrition-sensitive agriculture, which focuses on nutrition, health, and food security; livelihoods aimed at poverty reduction and job creation; and food environment initiatives prioritising health.

Starting in 2026, UP will receive 45 PhD scholarships each year, while the University of Cape Town (UCT) will receive 15 PhD scholarships, as part of a programme supported by the Mastercard Foundation for a duration of 10 years. Participating ARUA member universities in Africa will include UP, UCT, Uganda’s Makerere University, the University of Nairobi, the University of Ghana, Stellenbosch University, the University of KwaZulu-Natal, the University of Lagos, and Morocco’s Mohammed VI Polytechnic (UM6P) University.