AGRA Calls for Measuring Food Systems by Ability to Deliver Healthy Diets
At a conference in Accra, senior AGRA official Sunil Dahiya urged measurement of food systems by dietary impact, not just crop yields.
Food systems performance should move beyond measuring mere crop output and instead assess how well they supply nourishing meals, according to Sunil Dahiya.
Speaking at the Micronutrient Forum's Global Nutrition Conference in Accra, Dahiya stressed that boosting productivity alone fails when meals lack essential vitamins and minerals. He pointed to the Sahel where erratic rains leave families with staple grains yet strip access to vegetables, eggs, fish and milk needed for balanced diets. Dahiya warned that rising carbon dioxide levels are already depleting nutrients like zinc and iron in key crops such as rice and wheat, complicating efforts to feed populations sustainably. His remarks came as the forum convened leaders worldwide to tackle growing malnutrition linked to environmental shifts.
Research shared at the event shows that higher atmospheric carbon dioxide has reduced protein and micronutrient content in grains across Africa. Dahiya highlighted that smallholder farmers face mounting difficulties due to inadequate irrigation, storage and insurance while confronting climate pressures they have little role in creating. With food prices climbing and nutrient-dense options becoming harder to obtain, households increasingly depend on less varied but cheaper staples.
The four-day gathering, hosted jointly by CGIAR and backed by the African Union, was officially opened by Ghana's government.
