Few things are cuter than an infant eating, fat cheeks smeared with puree, and a happy, toothless grin on their chubby face. But providing consistent, nutritious meals to babies can be a challenge for parents in areas struggling with food insecurity and malnutrition. Lionceau is attempting to combat this issue by producing healthy, locally sourced baby food. They manufacture the baby food, including fruit and vegetable purees and infant flours, using an ecosystemic solution that combines climate-resilient African indigenous crops, women-led agriculture, and sustainable practices. 

Based in Senegal, Lionceau designs food products for babies from six months old. The foods are specifically formulated from local African indigenous plants, carefully chosen for their high nutritional value. Lionceau uses cereals and legumes like millet, fonio, cowpea; these are all crops that maintain their productivity in the Sahel region, where rising temperatures, aridity, and the effects of climate change impact agriculture. The food products are also mixed with highly nutritional AIS NTFPs (African Indigenous Species Non-Timber Forest Products, such as baobab, moringa, Parkia biglobosa, and Dialium guineense). In addition to adding nutritional benefits, they add value to endangered species that would otherwise be cut down for their wood.  

Lionceau takes a holistic approach to their business model. The initiative stems first from the preservation and regeneration of the local ecosystem in the Sahel region. They source raw agricultural materials locally from cooperatives of farmers, and work with women’s processing groups in southern Senegal to pre-process cereals and legumes. The entire procedure, from R&D to production, is carried out in Senegal, generating employment, particularly among women and young people. This addresses multiple challenges simultaneously: it enhances food security by supporting local farmers and reducing post-harvest losses, creates jobs for youth and economic opportunities for women, and meets the increasing demand for nutritious, locally sourced baby food in Africa. 

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Food insecurity and poverty are widespread issues in Senegal, notably in rural areas. These areas also suffer from high levels of child malnutrition, farm losses (due to insufficient storage and processing, climate change, and reliance on imported goods), and high unemployment. Lionceau claims to address these challenges by integrating African ancestral knowledge with modern nutrition science. For instance, by developing and introducing healthier versions of traditional dishes like ‘Thiéboudieune’ (recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity) adapted for babies, they not only preserve cultural heritage but also promote healthy eating habits from an early age. 

The initiative aims to improve the nutritional status of millions of young children in Africa. To date, Lionceau claims to have reached more than 110,000 babies, created 40 jobs, collaborated with 3,000 smallholder farmers and trained 1,500 women in nutrition and food processing in rural areas. Within the next five years, their goal is to reach 1.2 million babies, create 500 jobs, partner with 6,000 smallholder farmers, and train 3,000 women in nutrition and food processing. Though currently focused on Senegal, Lionceau plans to expand to Benin and the Ivory Coast. That’s a lot of new baby cheeks that will soon be covered in delicious, and nutritious, Lionceau products.  

Read more about Le Lionceau.

Written by Sarah Souli
Images provided by Le Lionceau

For many of the millions of school children in the United Kingdom, lunch is the preferred part of the day – a break from lessons, teachers, and homework. But lunch represents more than just a moment of freedom, or a tasty treat. UK schools serve around 1.2 billion meals every year, most of which contain animal-based products. Significantly, food production is responsible for 78% of the emissions of an average UK school catering service, with more than half attributed to meat. There is an urgent need to shift towards more sustainable and plant-based alternatives in school canteens.  

Enter ProVeg’s School Plates program, which claims to be the only program in the UK dedicated to increasing the quantity, quality, and uptake of plant-based food in schools. According to the initiative, School Plates is unique in its focus on plant-based food, and on lowering food’s Scope 3 emissions (indirect greenhouse gas emissions), which are estimated to account for up to 90% of a meal’s total emissions. Unlike some other climate-focused organizations working with schools, ProVeg also offers all services free of charge, which they say makes their impact more accessible to all. 

First launched in 2018, the School Plates program has since supported 77 school caterers, who provide the meals for around 7,700 schools, feeding over 1.25 million children every day. School Plates focuses on caterers as they have the most direct influence over the largest group of people. The initiative works by offering a range of free services to local authorities and contract catering companies. They deliver chef-training workshops (both in-person and online) to school catering staff, provide advice on naming and positioning menus to nudge children into making healthier choices, and help caterers introduce new plant-based recipes and meat-free days. 

Eating more plant-based food is a proven way to help mitigate some of the impacts of climate change. Farming animals is responsible for 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), more than the transport sector. It is also a leading cause of deforestation, water use, biodiversity loss, and species extinction. The UK’s Climate Change Committee has called for a 20% reduction in meat and dairy consumption by 2030, and the UK National Food Strategy recommended the nation eats 30% less meat, 20% more fruit and vegetables, and 50% more fiber by 2032. 

School Plates has already been making a positive impact. According to the initiative, they have successfully transitioned 47.4 million school meals since the launch of the program. This is up from 24.9 million meals at the end of 2023, 12.3 million at the end of 2022, and 5.6 million at the end of 2021. This has reduced carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by approximately 29,000 tons, which could run over 6,200 petrol cars for one year. Their plant-based school meals create, on average, 73% less CO2 than an equivalent meat-based meal, with each plant-based meal saving 0.62kg of CO2. They also estimate that at least 2.76 billion liters of freshwater have been saved since 2018 because of their meal swaps. 

School Plates is proof that each one of us can make a small difference. By giving children an easy environment to make healthy, climate-conscious choices, it is prepping future generations for positive behavioral change.  

Learn more about ProVeg.

Written by Sarah Souli
Photos provided by ProVeg

For thousands of years, humans have added fertilizer to improve soil nutrition. Historically, we have used mineral and organic fertilizers, like manure or ground-up bone, to make our food grow heartier and faster. In the last century, human-made fertilizers have helped us feed our growing planet even more efficiently. But this has caused great environmental damage, and worldwide, agriculture is the second-largest cause of climate change. Nitrogen fertilizers in particular represent a catch-22 problem: they account for 50% of the world’s food production support but emit as much carbon dioxide (CO2) as the aviation industry — a whopping total of roughly 1.1 gigatons of CO2 equivalent annually. Valued worldwide at around €80 billion, it runs on a fossil-dependent process that is badly in need of an overhaul.  

Enter NitroCapt, an Uppsala-based climate-tech company that developed a novel, energy efficient process for a disruptive electrification of the global nitrogen fertilizer industry. NitroCapt has invented a unique plasma process that simultaneously maximizes the production rate and minimizes the energy consumed for nitrogen fixation. Since the company is not taking the vastly energy consuming route via ammonia, but instead a nitrate route which in theory is 11 times more energy-efficient, NitroCapt claims to be able to compete in energy efficiency with the most efficient fossil-based production process for nitrogen fertilizer—being more cost-efficient and greener than fertilizers based on both fossil fuels and green ammonia. 

Through years of research since they were first established in 2016, NitroCapt conclude that their plasma-produced nitrate will be the most powerful solution to address problems associated with nitrogen fertilizers on a broad scale. According to the initiative, plasma-produced nitrate offers: an outstanding production economy, matching the needs of global large-acre crops and giving strong incentive for a fast transition of the industry; the lowest total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of any synthetic green nitrogen fertilizer; the best agronomic properties, with a positive impact on soil fertility; and resilient production on a moderate scale that is immune to disruptions to international trade.  

NitroCapt has established a pilot program that is currently being implemented in Sweden and plans to implement in France, though their long-term goal is to see plasma-produced nitrate used worldwide. The company reports that they have LOIs (letters of intent) from customers for 31 full-scale plants, each one with a capacity to provide fertilizer for 50,000–80,000 hectares of farmland. When implemented, NitroCapt believes this will reduce GHGs by close to 1million tons per year. The production units are set up in containers that are easy to mount and ship, which means scalability will not be an issue. NitroCapt states that their goal is to install 1400 units within 10 years, resulting in annual emission reductions of nearly 100 million tons of CO2 equivalents in 2034, which represents more than double Sweden’s total emissions as a country (45 million tons of CO2 equivalents in 2023).  

In addition, NitroCapt claims that their technology has the potential to become a solution to provide affordable nitrogen fertilizers to increase food production in developing countries. A new way of growing food and feeding our planet is here.  

Learn more about NitroCapt.

Written by Sarah Souli
Images provided by NitroCapt

The humble lentil could be set to replace milk and cream, and transform the landscape of dairy alternatives. 

That’s the claim by ANDFOODS, a group of visionary New Zealand researchers at the Riddet Institute who have crafted a pioneering fermentation process which creates dairy-free ingredients ​from pulses ​that rival traditional dairy in taste, texture and multi-functionality.  

ANDFOODS mission began with a breakthrough which revealed a valuable and nutritious side stream​​​​, marking it​ ​a promising product line. The pulses are processed and split into liquids and solids, creating tasty, highly nutritious ingredients which form the base of ​the company’s​​ ​powders, milks, and creams. By unlocking the power of pulses through its fermentation technology, ANDFOODS is bringing its research to the commercial stage. It promises that food manufacturers can​ easily​ swap out traditional dairy ingredients for their innovative lentil-based products.   

In the face of mounting pressure to cut carbon footprints, many food manufacturers are turning to dairy alternatives as a crucial element of their strategy. Now, ANDFOODS has teamed up with global food manufacturers and aims to integrate what they see as their superior dairy alternatives into a wide range of nutritious and multi-functional products. Their whipped cream substitute and nutrient-rich by-products have already caught the attention of major US food producers; their technology will be used in a new plant-based ice cream that they believe will be the best in the world for taste, texture, and environmental impact. Global manufacturers are eager for trials, with initial target markets in Southeast Asia, Australia, and the US. Singapore is leading the charge.  

The R&D team is diligently working on clinical trials to test the gut health benefits of their ​zero-waste, ​allergen-free products. ANDFOODS claims that the positive impact on soil is already proven; as pulses put nitrogen back into the soil used by rotation crops like rice, the​re is ​no need for additional fertiliser.  

The company sees its technology as a ground-breaking approach to food production, unlocking the potential of a previously under-utilized, nutrient-dense food source. Through what it claims to be a world-first fermentation process, it’s on a mission to expand the horizon of dairy alternatives and fuel the future of low-carbon food innovation. 

Learn more about ANDFOODS.

Written by Gilly Smith
Photos and captions provided by ANDFOODS

Even those taking care of simple houseplants know how complicated it can be to gauge how much, and how often, to water plants. Scaled up to the agricultural level, it’s a global problem for farmers. How much water is enough, especially since many regions are facing water scarcity? ​​Giving plants more water than they need leaches nutrients out of the soil, wastes energy for pumping, and causes environmental problems such as waterlogging and salinity. The Virtual Irrigation Academy (VIA) is testing a big idea: what if farmers had access to streamlined information about whether their crops were thirsty or not? 

When farmers have simple, accurate, and actionable information, they are empowered to make better decisions about their individual water use and – perhaps even more importantly – the allocation of water within their community. Smallholder farms have used VIA data to discuss water usage in town hall meetings. Improved water use leads to improved crop yields, increased income, better nutrition and food security, and the reduction of conflict over water within communities. Perceived scarcity over water fuels conflict, which undermines attempts to equitably govern and share water. Growing more food with less water is firstly a people problem. As such, the premise behind the Australia-based VIA is that by providing an information system that links farmers with higher-level stakeholders who create and manage the systems in which they operate, VIA can transform the irrigated agriculture sector in low- and middle-income countries. 

In order to do this, VIA has developed a soil water and solute monitoring system, called the Chameleon, designed specifically to fit the smallholder irrigation sector. The initiative claims to have developed a world-first soil water sensor that is buried in the ground and attached to a light, showing blue when the plants have plenty of water, green when things are okay, and red when they need a drink. This sensor gives a measurement of soil suction which is related to the stress experienced by a plant. Unlike a water content reading, the interpretation is independent of soil type. The data from the Chameleon sensor can be collected manually, through an App, or with a Wi-Fi enabled reader. 

VIA’s focus is the smallholder irrigation sector, where there is a long history of institutional failure. Their work is currently implemented in South Africa, Malawi, Mozambique, Uganda, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Viet Nam, Indonesia, Australia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, and India, partnering with governments, research institutions, NGOs, and private sector organizations. Since its implementation, VIA has seen impressive results. According to the initiative, surveys of thousands of farmers who have used the products report that 71% saved time, 60% improved on-farm income, and 49% improved off-farm income. More specifically, a study of 183 farmers in Tanzania reported that 75% of users increased yield and 90% of users reduced water use. The same study of 175 farmers in Malawi reported 66% of users increasing yield and 71% reducing water use. Impressively, 41% of users report reduced conflict over water.  

But there’s nothing better than hearing directly from the farmers themselves. “Thanks to an introduction to upland crops and the Chameleon card, I was able to continue farming on my paddy land for 4 months in the dry season,” one farmer in Vietnam stated. “Otherwise I would have to find a part-time job elsewhere.” 

Learn more about The Virtual Irrigation Academy.

Written by Sarah Souli
Photos provided by The Virtual Irrigation Academy

In Zambia, over one million people are employed in fishing, processing, and fish trading, with women processing 90% of small fish in the country. In the Lake Tanganyika region specifically, fishing is a critical economic solution for people living on the lake’s shores. It also represents an important nutritional source, providing 25-40% of the protein in locals’ diets. But the industry is plagued by post-harvest losses, which can reach up to 70% at some points in the year. 

Post-harvest fish loss is one of the significant challenges to small-scale fisheries, especially in Africa, where malnutrition and food insecurity are widespread. WorldFish has implemented the “Aquatic Foods: Post-harvest losses and food waste reduction in Zambia” program in an effort to reduce post-harvest losses, increase food safety and quality, and improve food and nutrition security for rural and urban consumers.  

The initiative is focused on improving the supply chain of small pelagic fish, such as kapenta and buka-buka. In Zambia, post-harvest losses are a major cause of low incomes for processors; losing even 10% of one’s harvest can have far-reaching economic consequences.  

The Aquatic Foods: Post-harvest losses and food waste reduction in Zambia program focuses on reducing the loss of caught fish and enhancing fish quality and safety by providing fishers with knowledge and skills in post-harvest handling, improved processing, and promoting climate-smart cold chain and storage technologies. Cold rooms currently account for 65% of electrical energy usage in the region. WorldFish’s objective is to pilot and scale a solar-powered cold chain and promote fish handling and processing innovations that increase food safety and quality, and reduce spoilage, waste, and deforestation, improving livelihoods of those in the fisheries sector.  

The initiative also teaches processors and fishers about drying fish on raised racks. Along Lake Tanganyika, small pelagic fish are still being dried directly on the ground, which can attract insects and speed up rotting, raising food safety concerns. Additionally, deforestation and forest degradation due to high demand for wood fuel for processing and preservation of fish has escalated. According to WorldFish, their program in Zambia offers a holistic approach to the economic, environmental, and food security issue of post-harvest loss. 

The initiative aims to increase availability and access to improved post-harvest technologies, to reduce post-harvest losses, and to increase quantity and safe fish available. Additionally, the economic benefits are tangible, with increased household income and reduction in poverty, improved livelihoods, and increased participation of women and youth in the fish value chain.  

Learn more about Aquatic Foods.

Written by Sarah Souli
Photos by Catherine Mwema at WorldFish

For thousands of years, the indigenous people of the Andes mountains of southern Ecuador (the Kañari) have been growing, tending, and harvesting quinoa, amaranth, and other native grains. They have been cultivating a great many varieties of potatoes and other tubers along with squashes, vegetables, and fruit. In the face of centuries of colonialism and imperialism, the Kañari have managed to hold on to their traditional ways of caring for the earth, and feeding each other. But that does not mean their path has been an easy one; they have faced immeasurable adversity and hardship.  

In the indigenous Kichwa (Quechua) language, Mushuk Yuyay means “New Thought,” and the initiative certainly lives up to its name. The Association of Producers of Seeds and Nutritious Andean Foods Mushuk Yuyay was established by Nicolás Pichazaca in 1994 to help local smallholder farmers with seed and organic inputs at a time when the farmers were struggling to survive. Since then, they have established a name brand for their products, Alli Mikuna (“Good Food”), and built a processing plant. Mushuk Yuyay sees their purpose as to holistically work with indigenous farmers to build a stable economy with food sovereignty, food security, and food justice. 

According to the initiative, the needs of their community around health, food, and money, coupled with the battle against climate change cannot be solved with one solution. As a result, they approach existing environmental, health, and economic challenges with a holistic array of programs. These include feeding and nutrition education through their Healthy Children and Healthy Future school program; ecosystem restoration through the Restorative Forest of Guyaraloma; paying farmers fair market prices in the field at harvest; community education programs with NGOs and public agencies; irrigation projects involving the area in which they operate; participatory research with universities; developing organic fertilizers and pest control with the farmers; seed selection and improvement for increased biodiversity; expanding cultivation through developing community savings and loan groups; and finally, marketing by developing their own brand, Alli Mikuna, and building a processing center. 

Crucially, Mushuk Yuyay is entirely community led and has been since its founding (a fact they believe makes them unique). With this emphasis on community, according to the initiative, they have been able to respond to the most pressing economic and environmental needs in the southern Ecuador region. The initiative is democratically managed to answer to the people it serves, and its purpose is to help smallholder farmers prosper and have access to healthy diets at reasonable prices. As the organization states, “Ours is a passionate effort to preserve what is authentic, and elevate what is essential, restoring justice in the food chain and rekindling the flame of the family table with the abundance of history and nature.” 

Learn more about Mushuk Yuyay.

Written by Sarah Souli
Photos provided by Mushuk Yuyay

Gastromotiva is harnessing the power of gastronomy for social change, combating hunger, restoring soil health, enhancing food security, as well as generating income through education. 

The Brazilian NGO, founded by chef and social innovator David Hertz in São Paulo, Brazil, began as a humble school meal initiative from his home in 2006. Since then, Gastromotiva has developed a project and teaching methodology that has paved the way for collaborations with universities in São Paulo and beyond to offer free educational courses across Brazil. 

In 2016, during the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, the organization created Refettorio Gastromotiva in partnership with Italian chef Massimo Bottura and journalist Alexandra Forbes. Bottura, who with his wife, Lara Gilmore, founded Food for Soul, a non-profit organisation to empower local communities to reduce food waste and support social inclusion, is one of the most respected chefs in the world for his work in this area. Now, Refettorio Gastromotiva has become a similar hub of culture, connection, and camaraderie fostering community growth, encouraging social transformation, inclusive productivity, and sustainable progress through this movement of social gastronomy. 

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, Gastromotiva extended its social model to over 150 communities in Brazil, and in particular to riverside and indigenous communities in the Amazon. Initiatives include the Social Gastronomy Kitchens Program and the Community Development Project which promote food security, economic empowerment, and community entrepreneurship.  

The Amazon expansion was facilitated by a collaboration with the Acariquara Institute, a non-profit organization dedicated to stimulating and supporting initiatives for socio-biodiversity preservation, sustainable development, and sustainable natural resource management within its traditional communities. 

The organization claims that Gastromotiva is unique in the way it brings together local and traditional farming and agroforestry systems with cutting-edge tech for the socioeconomic development of the Amazon region. This, it says, restores soil recovery and strengthens the diversity of native and cultivated seeds in a hub of innovation where social, environmental, and economic fabrics are woven together into a virtuous circle of sustainable practices, nurturing a legacy of green prosperity and culinary skills for future generations.  

Learn more about Gastromotiva.

Written by Gilly Smith
Photos provided by Gastromotiva

Around the world, people eat a lot of rice. It’s the culinary and nutrition backbone of many cultures, and the main crop for millions of farmers, contributing over 21% of global caloric intake. It’s also one of the most notoriously difficult to grow, one of the thirstiest, and one that negatively contributes to climate change. Indeed, its production presents significant environmental challenges, accounting for 11% of global methane emissions, 1.3% of all anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2)-equivalent emissions, and consuming approximately 40% of the world’s irrigation water. And its yields are consistently low, putting small-scale farmers in particular at economic risk. How can we fix this? 

These two critical challenges – insufficient yields and a substantial climate impact – are individually addressed by various organizations. But the System of Rice Intensification (SRI), which SRI-2030 advocates, has been widely evidenced as a solution that holistically addresses both. The UK-based initiative SRI-2030 is dedicated to accelerating the adoption of the SRI approach, which has been researched for the last thirty years. SRI-2030 is increasingly focused on the African continent. In Africa, large yield gaps persist due to sub-optimal cultivation practices. At the same time, demand for rice across the continent is steadily rising, driven by rapid population growth and shifting dietary preferences as urbanization increases. The result is a gap filled in by expensive imports, which misses a crucial chance for local production, jobs, and economic growth.  
 

SRI is based on agroecological practices that have a proven history of providing ecological, social, and economic benefits to farmers, families, consumers, and businesses. It follows four key principles (the early establishment of healthy plants; low plant density, i.e. wider spacing of plants; soil enrichment; and the sparing application of water) that address water, soil, and crop management. These principles can then be modified by farmers themselves to suit local conditions. According to SRI-2030, SRI has been shown to typically increase yields by 50% while simultaneously reducing emissions by 50%. In comparison to conventional practices, the initiative claims that SRI uses about 30% less irrigation water. 

SRI-2030 works by combining top-down policy engagement with governments and mid-level interventions. They strengthen policy commitments and facilitate the implementation of existing policies, particularly by fostering synergies between disparate policy objectives, such as aligning Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under climate ministries with National Rice Development Strategies under agricultural ministries. SRI-2030 states that their most significant achievement to date is bringing together multiple rice producing countries and various actors within these rice producing countries through the creation of the “Sustainable Rice NDC Alliance.”  

According to the initiative, the application of SRI is applicable across various geographical scales. However, given that 90% of rice farmers globally are smallholders, it is particularly noteworthy that SRI is most effective on small to medium sized plots of land. That makes it especially well-suited for the countries they are focused on across Africa. 

Written by Sarah Souli
Images provided by SRI-2030