World Food Day
Safeguarding Africa’s traditional foods for health and food security
In the African continent, food is not just nourishment, but also culture, history, and identity. Yet in many regions, the diversity of traditional foods and the knowledge systems that sustain them are rapidly declining. This loss, driven by changing diets, globalisation, climate pressures, and shifts in agricultural practice, has far-reaching implications for health, food security, and cultural continuity.
The decline in food diversity means fewer varieties of crops and animal species are being cultivated or consumed. Communities that once thrived on a diverse range of grains, legumes, fruits, vegetables, and indigenous livestock now increasingly depend on a narrow range of imported or hybrid foods. This shift reduces resilience in food systems. This is because when only a few crops dominate, entire communities become more vulnerable to pests, diseases, and climate shocks. In the long term, it also weakens nutritional quality. Traditional African foods, such as sorghum, millet, amaranth, cowpeas, and African leafy vegetables, are often rich in vitamins, minerals, and fibre, offering a more balanced nutrition than many modern alternatives.
The knowledge associated with traditional foods is equally critical. Across generations, African farmers, herders, and foragers developed intricate systems of cultivation, preparation, and preservation suited to local ecologies. Elders, especially women, have been the custodians of this knowledge, knowing which crops thrive in drylands, which wild fruits sustain communities during drought, and how to store grain safely without modern infrastructure. As younger generations migrate to urban areas or adopt industrial diets, this knowledge is at risk of disappearing, taking with it centuries of adaptation and sustainability.
Inventorying traditional foods, that is, documenting what is grown, gathered, and consumed, as well as the cultural practices that sustain them, is now an urgent task. Such efforts have already begun in parts of Africa. For instance, research projects in Kenya, Nigeria, and Ethiopia are mapping indigenous food plants and local recipes, often combining modern nutritional analysis with community storytelling. This work not only protects heritage but also provides practical data for nutrition and agriculture policies. When local foods are properly documented and analysed, they can be reintroduced into school feeding programmes, health campaigns, and climate-resilient agriculture initiatives.
From a public health perspective, preserving traditional foods can play a crucial role in addressing the continent’s growing double burden of malnutrition, characterised by undernutrition in some populations and rising obesity and diet-related diseases in others. Reconnecting people with diverse, nutrient-rich traditional foods can help restore balanced diets that are both affordable and locally available.
At the same time, promoting traditional crops encourages biodiversity and supports smallholder farmers who depend on local seed varieties. Many of these crops are drought-tolerant, requiring fewer inputs such as fertilisers or irrigation. Reviving them contributes to both climate adaptation and sustainable livelihoods.
The way forward lies in collaboration between researchers, policymakers, and communities. Universities and agricultural institutes can provide scientific validation of the nutritional and ecological value of traditional foods. Governments can integrate these findings into national food policies, while communities contribute local wisdom and cultural context. Regional cooperation is also essential, as a shared continental inventory would enable African nations to exchange knowledge and develop collective strategies for achieving food sovereignty.
As the world commemorates World Food Day, we recognise that protecting traditional food diversity is about securing the future. Africa’s strength lies in its biodiversity and in the generations of knowledge that have sustained it. By valuing, documenting, and reintroducing traditional foods into modern systems, the continent can advance both food security and cultural resilience, ensuring that Africa’s next generation inherits not only the land but also the wisdom to live well on it.
