Opinion piece in The Conversation by Lead Expert Group Chair, Prof Evan Fraser

An article by Prof Evan Fraser (Director of the Arrell Food Institute and Professor at the University of Guelph and Chair of the Lead Expert Group, Global Panel),  supported by Dr Patrick Kormawa (Director, Food Security and Climate-Smart Agricultural Transformation, Office of the President of Sierra Leone) and Professor Sir John Beddington (Chair of the Global Panel on Agriculture and Food Systems for Nutrition) was published today by The Conversation which highlights the potential opportunities that Sierra Leone’s Flagship Feed Salone programme provides to build a truly transformative food system to deliver resilience, equity, and sustainable development.  

Sierra Leone is at a critical juncture in its efforts to address food and nutrition security amidst escalating challenges. The Government has launched several initiatives, including the Feed Salone initiative and the Presidential Initiative on Climate Change, Renewable Energy, and Food Security (PI-CREF), to boost domestic agriculture, reduce dependence on imports, and build a more resilient food system.  

At COP28, Sierra Leone also joined the Alliance of Champions for Food System Transformation, emphasising a “whole of government” approach to addressing systemic change across multiple challenges, around food security, equity, and biodiversity. Despite some progress in nutrition and health over the past two decades, the country still faces significant hurdles, including widespread food insecurity and economic pressures. A recent workshop organised by the Global Panel and PI-CREF emphasised the urgent need for strengthened resilience in the food system to protect vulnerable populations and support sustainable development. 

Collaborative efforts are crucial to ensuring that Sierra Leone’s food systems can meet the needs of its people and drive the nation’s future growth. The Global Panel is supporting these goals through its Irish Aid funded project Strengthening Resilience in the Transformation of Food Systems in low- and middle-income African Countries.  Read the full article here.