The Africa Food Environment Research Network (FERN): from concept to practice

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Nutrition Science
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Africa experiences a dual burden of malnutrition, with rising overweight, obesity, and diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs) alongside persistent undernutrition.
• Unhealthy food environments are a significant driver of these escalating health issues across the continent.
• Addressing this paradigm requires enhanced empirical research and strengthened research capacity.

Purpose of the Study:

• Introduce the Africa Food Environment Research Network (FERN) initiative, established by the MEALS4NCDs project.
• Outline the core objectives of FERN: building research capacity, fostering South-South and South-North partnerships, and sustaining dialogue on food environment research priorities.
• Establish FERN as a platform for collaborative research and advocacy to advance food environment studies in Africa.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual paper outlining the establishment and aims of the Africa FERN initiative.
• Focus on capacity building for innovative food environment research.
• Emphasis on strengthening research partnerships and monitoring systems within Africa.

Main Results:

• The Africa FERN initiative has been established to address critical gaps in food environment research.
• The initiative prioritizes building research capacity and fostering collaborations.
• FERN aims to improve research and monitoring of food environments across Africa.

Conclusions:

• The FERN initiative provides a vital platform for African and global researchers to collaborate.
• It facilitates research capacity building, knowledge exchange, and advocacy for healthier food environments.
• FERN is poised to advance food environment research and contribute to policy development in Africa.