HealthyFoodAfrica

What HealthyFoodAfrica does

HealthyFoodAfrica is an EU-funded research and innovation project operating under Horizon 2020 grant agreement No 862740 from 2020 through May 2025. The project was coordinated by Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) in Helsinki and involved 17 partners across Europe and Africa, including universities (Helsinki, Pisa, Makerere, Bahir Dar, Abomey-Calavi, Zambia, Aeres), research institutes (NIBIO, Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT, CSIR Ghana, APHRC), NGOs (Hivos, FCA, GIFSE), a sustainability consultancy (Mentes Visiveis), and a Kenyan food brand (House of Böna). Its objective was to make food systems in 10 African cities across six countries (Benin, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Zambia) more sustainable, equitable, and resilient by reconnecting food production and consumption.

The project employed a Living Lab methodology through 10 localized Food System Labs that brought together social entrepreneurs, farmers, activists, businesses, and policymakers to co-create context-specific innovations. Outputs spanned five thematic areas: healthy nutrition, sustainable food production, food packaging and safety, food chain governance, and innovative food products. Documented innovations include rhizobia biofertilizers, zero-energy coolers piloted in Chongwe (Zambia), improved fish-smoking ovens, aquaponics systems, rain-shelter tomato cultivation, hapa net aquaculture technology, plant-based protein pasta, and fish sausages. Knowledge outputs include practice abstracts, policy briefs, a Gender Training Manual, a Food Safety Training Manual for Street Food Vendors, a Training Kit on Innovative Food Products, and a photography project by Heedo Lee. Quantified outcomes include statistically significant improvements in nutrition knowledge (p=0.007 and p=0.001), increased legume yields with biofertilizer application, and 86% empowerment-score attainment on environmental-domain indicators among 106 women studied in Nairobi informal settlements.

HealthyFoodAfrica is not a commercial enterprise and does not sell products or services. Its sole revenue source is the EU Horizon 2020 grant; there is no disclosed pricing model, no paying customer base, and no traditional ownership structure. The project concluded with a final event in Brussels on May 7, 2025. Customer segments — in the sense of end beneficiaries rather than purchasers — are dispersed across urban populations, women and youth, smallholder farmers, street food vendors, school children, and refugee communities, with co-creation and participatory research as the primary engagement mechanism rather than transactional relationships.

Name

HealthyFoodAfrica

Legal name

HealthyFoodAfrica

Website

https://healthyfoodafrica.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

HealthyFoodAfrica is an EU Horizon 2020-funded research and innovation project (2020-2025) coordinated by Natural Resources Institute Finland, using Living Lab methodology across 10 Food System Labs in 6 African countries to co-create sustainable food system innovations with farmers, women, vendors, and policymakers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Systems Research

NAICS

Community Food Services (62421), Aquaculture (1125)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (Fair Trade, Food Access, Regenerative) (BPAGALAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Food Systems & Value Chain Development for Nutrition (BPADAJAG), Nutrition & Food Security (Global Health) NGOs (HLAJAKAH)

Keywords

• Food systems research
• Sustainable agriculture
• Food safety training
• Nutrition education
• Agricultural innovation

Headquarters

HQ city

Helsinki

HQ country

Finland

HQ region

Europe

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. EU Horizon 2020 Research Grant: Funded by the European Union Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 862740. This is a research and innovation project, not a commercial revenue-generating entity.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

HealthyFoodAfrica is an EU-funded research and innovation project that uses a Living Lab methodology to transform food systems in 10 African cities across six countries. Operating through 10 localized Food System Labs that bring together social entrepreneurs, farmers, activists, businesses, and policymakers, the project co-creates and pilots locally relevant solutions spanning healthy nutrition, sustainable food production, food packaging and safety, food chain governance, and innovative food products. Key outputs include training manuals, policy briefs, practice abstracts, agricultural technologies (biofertilizers, zero-energy coolers, aquaponics systems), and novel food products.

Product overview

HealthyFoodAfrica is an EU-funded research and innovation project (not a commercial product company) focused on making food systems in 10 African cities more sustainable, equitable, and resilient. The project operates through 10 Food System Labs across 6 countries, serving as living labs for co-creating locally relevant solutions. Key outputs include: training manuals (Food Safety Training Manual for Street Food Vendors, Gender Training Manual), policy documents, a series of Practice Abstracts, and various agricultural innovations (biofertilizers, zero-energy coolers, aquaponics systems, improved fish-smoking ovens). The project also develops nutrition education materials and novel food products (plant-based protein pasta, fish sausages). The initiative addresses five thematic focuses: healthy nutrition, sustainable food production, food packaging and safety, food chain governance, and innovative food products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Food System Labs
• Food Safety Training Manual for Street Food Vendors
• Gender Training Manual
• Policy Brief on Gender Barriers to Food System Transformations
• Practice Abstracts
• Biofertilizers and Rhizobia Inoculants
• Zero-Energy Cooler
• Improved Fish-Smoking Ovens
• Plant-Based Protein Pasta
• Fish Sausages
• Aquaponics Systems
• Hapa Net Technology
• Rain-Shelter Technology
• Nutrition Education Materials
• Training Kit on Innovative Food Products, Processes and Agri-business Models

Quantifiable outcome

• Improved nutrition knowledge and awareness (p=0.007 and p=0.001)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Project Coordinator - Finland's second largest governmental research institute coordinating HealthyFoodAfrica and leading Work Packages 8, 9, and 10 on Communication, Project Coordination, and Ethical requirements. Contact: Mila Sell, Project Coordinator & Senior Scientist.
• The Alliance of Bioversity International and CIATcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Global research-for-development organization coordinating Food System Lab in Kisumu, Kenya and Work Package 2 on food consumption and healthy nutrition. Contact: Dr. Celine Termote.
• Council for Scientific & Industrial Research, Ghana (CSIR)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Conducts research on water resources and food science in Ghana. Coordinates Food System Lab in Accra, Ghana and Work Package 6 on Innovative food products, processes and agri-business models.
• African Population & Health Research Centre Kenya (APHRC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Non-profit research institute on population, health and education in sub-Saharan Africa. Coordinates Food System Lab in Nairobi, Kenya (Korogocho & Viwandani informal settlements). Contact: Dr. Elizabeth Kimani-Murage.
• Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Research institute on forestry, agriculture, rural development, food quality and safety, plant health, and environmental protection. Contact: Udaya Sekhar Nagothu.
• University of Helsinki, Finland (UH)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Finland's most broad-based research university with teaching and research in agricultural sciences. Coordinates Work Package 3 on sustainable food production. Contact: Hanna Koivula, John Sumelius, Kristina Lindström.
• Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia (BDU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020One of Ethiopia's largest universities located at Lake Tana. Coordinates Food System Lab in Bahir Dar. Contact: Professor Enyew Adgo.
• University of Makerere, Uganda (MAK)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Uganda's largest and oldest university established in 1922. Coordinates Work Package 5 on food chain governance. Contact: Rosemary Emegu Isoto, Alice Turinawe.
• University of Zambia (UNZA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Department of Food Science and Nutrition provides project leadership in research innovations. Coordinates Work Package 4 on post-harvest technology and food safety. Contact: Lukonde Mwelwa-Zgambo.
• University of Pisa, Italy (UNIPI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Department of Agriculture, Food and Agri-Environmental Science with expertise in agricultural economics, rural sociology, agronomy. Contact: Gianluca Brunori, Daniel Alpizar Rojas.
• University of Abomey-Calavi, Benin (UAC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Faculty of Agricultural Sciences brings expertise in nutrition and agriculture. Coordinates Food System Lab in Cotonou, Benin. Organizes annual international course on Nutrition and Food Security.
• Aeres University of Applied Sciences, NetherlandscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Research, education and training institution with experience in urban and regional food systems, sustainable diets, governance and impact assessment. Contact: Henk Renting.
• HivoscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020International NGO working with food entrepreneurs to increase sustainable food production. Coordinates Food System Labs in Lusaka and Chongwe (Zambia) and Fort Portal (Uganda). Leads Work Package 7 on transformational impact, scalability and exploitation.
• Finn Church Aid (FCA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Finland's largest international aid organization operating in 13 countries. Coordinates Food System Lab in Rwamwanja Refugee Settlement, Uganda. Contact: Wycliffe Nsheka.
• Centre for Initiatives on Food Security and Environment (GIFSE)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Association of 1500 smallholder farmer-based organizations in Northern Ghana. Coordinates Food System Lab in Tamale, Ghana. Contact: Victor Yakubu.
• Mentes Visiveis Lda (MV)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Sustainability research consultancy bridging researchers, practitioners, and policy makers. Coordinates Work Package 1 on transdisciplinary pathways. Contact: Amit Ashkenazy, Tzruya Calvão Chebach.
• House of Böna LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Kenya-based food production brand focused on plant-based foods and protein products for African markets. Founded by food technologists and scientists with expertise in food safety, quality, processing, and nutrition. Contact: Sara Ahlberg.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• IFPRI (International Food Policy Research Institute): Global CGIAR-affiliated research institute focused on food policy, nutrition and sustainable agriculture in developing countries. Highly comparable as a research-driven food systems actor with policy advocacy capability.
• CGIAR: Global agricultural research-for-development consortium with deep African presence. CGIAR (and its centers like the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, an HFA partner) operates comparable food-system transformation programmes across similar geographies.
• FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization): UN specialized agency leading international efforts to defeat hunger and transform food systems globally. Sets the policy and methodological context within which HFA and similar consortia operate.
• World Food Programme (WFP): UN agency addressing food insecurity and malnutrition with field operations across HFA's target geographies. Comparable as a large, multi-stakeholder food and nutrition actor in Africa.

Direct peers

• Farm Africa: International NGO working with smallholder farmers and local partners in East Africa on sustainable agriculture, value chains and climate resilience. Similar model of partnering with African research institutions to deliver farmer outcomes.
• AGRA (Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa): Africa-focused agricultural development organization working on smallholder productivity, value chains and policy across many of the same countries as HealthyFoodAfrica. Both operate multi-country, multi-stakeholder food system programmes.
• GAIN (Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition): Global alliance focused on improving nutrition outcomes through food system transformation. Strong overlap with HFA's healthy nutrition thematic focus and smallholder/market-level interventions in Africa.
• One Acre Fund: Service-driven organization supporting smallholder farmers in East Africa with inputs, training and market access. Overlaps HealthyFoodAfrica's smallholder farmer training and sustainable agriculture focus.
• Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT): African Development Bank-led programme deploying proven agricultural technologies at scale across Africa. Comparable multi-country, technology-deployment mandate in similar target geographies.

Others

• Food and Land Use Coalition (FOLU): Global coalition focused on transforming food and land use systems through evidence, policy advocacy and country-level engagement. Adjacent to HFA as a thematic peer operating in the same sustainable food systems conversation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HealthyFoodAfr
• Facebookfacebook.com/HealthyFoodAfrica
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/healthyfoodafrica

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about HealthyFoodAfrica