By Duncan Mboya
Healthy and sustainable diets can help tackle man-made challenges of climate change in Africa, diet experts said.
Million Belay, General coordinator, Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa said that African populations need to consume plenty of healthy diets that are available in the continent to help tackle challenges posed by climate change.
“Most plant foods in the continent adapt to different weather, soil, and other environmental variables and are resistant to arid conditions that are becoming more frequent in the continent due to climate change,” he told journalists in Nairobi.
Belay said that all African countries have high levels of agricultural biodiversity and only require experts that could improve traditional diverse crops to high-yielding varieties.
He noted that the continent needs agricultural systems that draw on people’s knowledge to benefit the population’s health, culture and the environment.
The official revealed that a study “one approach to health approach to food”, that was conducted by his organization recently found out that animal-based products especially red meat generally make the highest contribution to climate change, while plant-based products make the smallest.
The study, he said found that tropical fruits and leafy greens are abundant throughout the continent, and are key to a sustainable and healthy diet.
“Fruits such as baobab, guava, mango and others, and greens such as cabbage leaves, cassava, yam leaves, and others, are foundational to a healthy and environmentally friendly diet,” Belay added.
He said that many edible insects in the continent are believed to harbor medicinal properties, but rearing is unfortunately costly.
“Caterpillars and locusts are the most widely eaten insects across the continent,” the expert added.
He observed that there is need for a cost-effective rearing, harvesting, and processing technologies to prevent depletion and ecological disruption of insects while ensuring food safety.
Belay however noted that rising incomes and urbanization throughout the continent are contributing to changing African diets.
“The traditional cereals, tubers, fruits and vegetables are giving way to imported species of corn, rice and wheat,” he added.
