How Can We Transform Food Systems to Meet Food, Nutrition, and Climate Needs?

This research paper identifies three priority policy measures to transform food systems and improve nutritional outcomes while adapting to climate change, based on reviews of several countries in Eastern and Southern Africa.

• Reducing post-harvest losses is critical for climate resilience and food security, as higher temperatures and rainfall increase the risk of toxins and moulds. While countries like Tanzania and Uganda have integrated this into national strategies, efforts and financing are disproportionately focused on staple crops like maize and wheat. In Kenya, only 10% of post-harvest loss studies focus on pulses and 10% on fruits and vegetables, despite these high-nutrition crops being vulnerable to heat and pests.
• Biofortification of staples (such as maize) and climate-resilient crops (such as millet) is a cost-effective way to provide essential nutrients like iron, zinc, and vitamin A in Africa. Although recognized in national plans for Kenya and Zimbabwe, the effectiveness of biofortified foods is often hindered by a lack of improved seeds, financial constraints, and post-harvest loss issues.
• Climate change is expected to worsen food safety challenges by increasing mould and damaging infrastructure. In Kenya, poor post-harvest practices in maize value chains led to aflatoxin poisoning in 2011 and 2023. Policies in Ethiopia and Malawi emphasize the need for food safety standards and regular inspections to reduce losses and ensure food quality.
• Countries in Eastern and Southern Africa share common obstacles to food systems transformation, including capacity gaps in food safety and fortification, limited resources, and a requirement for regional cooperation regarding post-harvest loss solutions.

APA

Bizikova,, L. (2023). How Can We Transform Food Systems to Meet Food, Nutrition, and Climate Needs? International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/articles/policy-analysis/transform-food-systems-food-nutrition-climate-needs

Chicago

Bizikova,, Livia. How Can We Transform Food Systems to Meet Food, Nutrition, and Climate Needs? International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2023. https://www.iisd.org/articles/policy-analysis/transform-food-systems-food-nutrition-climate-needs.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Bizikova, |first1=Livia |title=How Can We Transform Food Systems to Meet Food, Nutrition, and Climate Needs? |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=27 November 2023 |url=https://www.iisd.org/articles/policy-analysis/transform-food-systems-food-nutrition-climate-needs |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{bizikova2023how, author = {Bizikova,, Livia}, title = {{How Can We Transform Food Systems to Meet Food, Nutrition, and Climate Needs?}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2023}, month = nov, url = {https://www.iisd.org/articles/policy-analysis/transform-food-systems-food-nutrition-climate-needs}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }