Accra, Ghana – A new African-led initiative, the Africa Regional Collaborative for Agriculture, Nutrition and Health (ANH-ARC), officially launched on April 30, 2026, at the University of Ghana. This platform aims to strengthen food systems, improve diets, and enhance health outcomes across the continent by bridging the gap between scientific evidence and policy decisions.
Strengthening the Science-Policy Interface
The ANH-ARC brings together leading African research and policy institutions to foster a collaborative environment. Its primary goal is to generate and disseminate rigorous, policy-ready evidence. This evidence will inform decision-making processes related to diets, nutrition, and the transformation of food systems.
Positioned as a regional science-policy platform, ANH-ARC will synthesize high-quality evidence and translate it into actionable policy and financing options. The initiative places a strong emphasis on embedding gender equity and climate resilience as central priorities in its work.
Addressing Pressing Challenges in African Food Systems
African food systems face intensifying pressure from multiple intersecting challenges. These include widespread malnutrition in all its forms, escalating food prices, rapid urbanization, the impacts of climate change, and fragmented governance structures.
While the body of scientific evidence has grown significantly, its effective translation into policy and practice remains a significant hurdle. ANH-ARC is designed to directly address this gap by strengthening the interface between science, policy, and implementation on the ground.
Integrated, Cross-Sectoral Approach
Professor Amos Laar, Principal Investigator of the ANH-ARC at the University of Ghana, highlighted the fragmentation in current food system decision-making, which is often siloed across agriculture, nutrition, and health sectors. The Collaborative seeks to overcome this by grounding its actions in an integrated, cross-sectoral evidence base that reflects African lived realities.
Leave a Reply