Improving diets and livelihoods in sub-Saharan Africa

The Future Food Beacon has a number of projects in various countries across the continent of Africa, including Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Senegal, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The scale of the work ranges from the widescreen ambitions of Geonutrition and its follow up projects across sub-Saharan Africa, all the way to detoxifying the humble grass pea.

We have grouped these projects together in this Research Highlight to demonstrate the breadth and depth of Future Food Beacon projects in Africa.

Geonutrition

How can we best influence the nutritional value of crops?

Farming, soil and water (CEPHaS)

Understanding soil for better food security

Micronutrient Action Policy Support (MAPS)

Can we develop tools to visualise the scale and distribution of micronutrient deficiencies?

Historical soil surveys in Zambia

Our researchers are exploring historical soil maps

Alleviating mineral micronutrient deficiencies

Our researchers are working to improve population health in Zimbabwe

Improving early child development in Malawi

Researchers are creating data platforms to help children's outcomes

BamBREED

We're honing in on an underused food source

Anatomics in pearl millet

Identifying new varieties of pearl millet better adapted to the future

Grass pea - sequencing the genome

Removing a deadly twist from a key insurance crop for the poorest of the poor

Pearl millet productivity

We are creating new opportunities for farmers to sell their crops