A major African-led science–policy initiative aimed at transforming food systems, improving nutrition, and strengthening health outcomes has been officially launched in Accra at the University of Ghana.
The initiative, known as the Africa Regional Collaborative for Agriculture, Nutrition, and Health (ANH-ARC), seeks to promote healthier, more equitable, and climate-resilient food systems across the continent through stronger evidence generation and policy coordination.
Launched on April 30, 2026, the platform brings together leading African research and policy institutions to improve the use of scientific evidence in decision-making around diets, nutrition, and food systems transformation.
ANH-ARC is co-led by the University of Ghana in Ghana, the Policy Studies Institute in Ethiopia, and Stellenbosch University in South Africa. It operates as a regional node of the global ANH Academy Science–Policy Platform, convened by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine in collaboration with Tufts University and the University of Sheffield, and funded by UK International Development and the Gates Foundation.
The initiative comes at a time when Africa’s food systems are facing mounting pressure from malnutrition in all its forms, rising food prices, rapid urbanisation, climate change, and fragmented governance structures.
Organisers say ANH-ARC will help bridge the gap between research and policy by ensuring that high-quality, policy-ready evidence is placed at the centre of food systems decision-making.
Professor Amos Laar, Principal Investigator of ANH-ARC at the University of Ghana, said current approaches to food systems are too fragmented to deliver meaningful impact.
“Agriculture, nutrition, and health can no longer operate in silos — evidence must deliberately connect them to inform policy-relevant decisions,” he said.
Dr Alebel Weldesilassie of the Policy Studies Institute stressed the importance of aligning evidence with financing and policy frameworks to drive real change.
“Effective food systems transformation for improving access to affordable, nutritious foods for all in Africa requires not only robust evidence, but also coherent financing strategies and policy coordination across sectors,” he said.
From Stellenbosch University, Prof Kennedy Dzama emphasised the need to strengthen governance systems to ensure knowledge translates into action.
“Strengthening governance systems and accountability mechanisms will be critical to translating knowledge into sustained impact at scale,” he noted.
Dr Tseday Mekasha, Integration Lead at ANH-ARC, added that gender equality, equity, and climate resilience must be embedded in all stages of policy and research design to ensure sustainable outcomes.
Speaking on behalf of the global ANH Academy, Dr Suneetha Kadiyala of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine highlighted the importance of African leadership in shaping research priorities.
“Platforms such as ANH-ARC are important not only because they strengthen the translation of evidence into policy, but because they model a more equitable and regionally grounded way of producing knowledge itself,” she said.
Supporters of the initiative, including the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Gates Foundation, described it as a timely intervention to address urgent development challenges and improve access to safe, affordable, and nutritious diets across Africa.
The ANH-ARC is also expected to align with major continental frameworks such as the African Union’s Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), the Kampala Declaration, and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), aiming to promote more coordinated and evidence-driven food systems reforms across the continent.
