Mehrdad Ehsani: “Innovation optimises the transformation of food systems”.

As the deadline for implementation of the second Sustainable Development Goal (SDG2) approaches, food security is being compromised day by day by wars, lack of funding and delays in the digitalisation of agricultural systems. At the same time, the debate is hotting up around carbon offsetting, which multinational agribusinesses are pouncing on as they are accused of massive deforestation. In this interview, Mehrdad Ehsani sheds some scientific light on all these issues. He is Vice President Africa of the Food Initiative for the Rockefeller Foundation.

Benoit-Ivan Wansi: Over the years, the Rockefeller Foundation has become one of the world’s leading environmental and humanitarian organisations. Is its mission still the same, more than a century after its creation?

Mehrdad Ehsani: For over a century, the Rockefeller Foundation has been working to tackle some of the world’s most pressing challenges. Our mission, which is to improve the well-being of humanity worldwide, has not wavered since we were founded in 1913. We are driven by the conviction that humanity’s capacity for progress knows no limits, while recognising that this progress has been unevenly shared.

Today, we find ourselves at a pivotal moment when the actions we take can define the future of our planet and its inhabitants. Recognising the urgency of systemic change, we are committed to investing a billion dollars over the next five years to tackle the heart of the matter: the urgent need to accelerate human opportunity while tackling the climate crisis head-on. This investment is not just a financial commitment. It is a statement of our commitment to catalyse the transformation of energy, food, health and financial systems so that they are more inclusive, sustainable and capable of generating new economic opportunities.

Within the Foundation, you lead initiatives that focus primarily on food security. What is the budget devoted to this area and how do you assess food policies in Africa, less than seven years before the deadline for implementing the second Sustainable Development Goal (SDG2)?

Over the years we have focused on increasing productivity and farmers’ incomes, and therefore on the fight against hunger. Considerable gains have been made in farmers’ productivity in Asia and Latin America, and hundreds of millions of lives have probably been saved thanks to these efforts. The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) was co-founded in 2006 and more than $160 million was invested in these programmes over the following years. Agra has now ceased to be funded by Rockefeller and has raised $700 million for its next 7-year strategy in 11 countries. This is perhaps our biggest contribution to food security in Africa. In its last five-year strategy, AGRA helped African governments adopt 67 improved agricultural policies.

But to be effective, policies need public education, implementation and learning. Take, for example, the Maputo Declaration of 2003, in which African heads of state pledged to invest 10% of their annual national budgets to stimulate agricultural growth. This is an excellent policy, but unfortunately only a handful of countries have managed to achieve this level of investment. The road ahead will continue to be fraught with difficulties, given the worsening fiscal crises and the polycrisis caused by the intensification of climate change-related shocks. In fact, much of the progress made against hunger over the last decade is being reversed. We also note with regret that food insecurity among children is increasing rapidly, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

Haiti, Malawi, Mozambique, Pakistan and Somalia, which have experienced their worst climatic (earthquakes and cyclones) and security (terrorism and war) crises in recent years, are among the countries facing “critical levels of hunger”, according to the United Nations. The Somali government seems powerless in the face of interminable droughts and the growing number of deaths and displaced persons in search of food, but above all in the face of international indifference. What do you think is the way out of this impasse?

Having lived in Africa for 34 years, I was the first to witness the devastating effects of climate change on the continent. The Horn of Africa is just emerging from the worst drought in 40 years. I saw images of adults queuing with children for school meals. Although they are the least responsible for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, African countries are bearing the full brunt of climate change, which is exacerbating food insecurity and economic instability.

The effects of global conflicts and climatic disasters are devastating. A better response to climate change would open up opportunities for billions of people – making them safer, healthier, better nourished, more self-reliant and freer – and make the world a more stable place. It is essential to amplify African voices and expertise in the global dialogue on climate adaptation and food security and through bold measures. We also need to increase public and private investment in agriculture and food systems in Africa. After all, the African continent offers enormous investment opportunities for combating climate change and building resilience.

Meanwhile, the war between Russia and Ukraine continues. What will happen in Africa if this conflict drags on, given that the two belligerents alone export 44% of the wheat on which several African nations (Nigeria, Ethiopia, Tunisia, etc.) depend for their food supplies?

The current conflict between Russia and Ukraine represents a major risk to Africa’s food security. This situation underlines the urgent need for Africa to strengthen its food and nutrition security and resilience, particularly in the context of global dependence on staple crops vulnerable to extreme weather and conflict-related disruptions.

Last year we launched the Fortified Wholegrain Alliance with partners. This partnership is currently working in six African countries to promote, provide technical assistance and educate the public about eating whole grains rather than refined cereals. Such a change would mean that we could extract 20-30% more flour from the cereals we consume, which would improve our food and nutritional security. I can’t think of any other intervention that would increase the yields of the food system so dramatically and so quickly.

According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), 30% of the cereals produced worldwide are thrown away, 50% of tubers, fruit and vegetables, 20% of oilseeds, meat and dairy products, and 35% of fish. How do you explain this when 145 million Africans are already facing an acute food crisis?

The astonishing levels of food waste juxtaposed with the serious food crisis in Africa highlight a profound global disparity. This is not just a surplus problem, but a systemic failure in the way we distribute and value our food resources. What’s more, food loss and waste generate 8 to 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. If it were a country, it would rank third after China and the United States of America in terms of GHG emissions. Philanthropy can play an important role in bridging this gap by encouraging innovative solutions that minimise waste and improve food distribution channels.

In response to this, you have launched a joint project with the African Union (AU) and the FAO to strengthen current policies and strategies on food security. What do you plan to do in concrete terms, and which countries are targeted?

As part of a strategic partnership with the African Union (AU) and the FAO, the Rockefeller Foundation is at the forefront of an ambitious initiative designed to tackle the critical issue of food security in Africa. Our collaboration revolves around a concrete plan to significantly reduce post-harvest losses by 2030, a challenge that, if met, could feed an estimated 48 million people in sub-Saharan Africa. Launched in February 2017, our 18-month pilot targets staple crops in Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe, while providing policy support to the African Union Commission (AUC). The initiative introduces practical and scalable solutions, such as hermetically sealed bags for the long-term storage of cereals and improved crates for the transport of fresh produce, effectively minimising spoilage and damage in transit.

At the same time, the Rockefeller Foundation is implementing the Food Initiative, a wide-ranging strategy aimed at improving access to nutritious, sustainable food on a global scale. With a commitment of $105 million over three years, the initiative uses scientific innovation and data on good food, good food policy and good food procurement to drive systemic change. Systemic change that we deliver by supporting innovative platforms, gathering compelling evidence, realigning market incentives and helping public institutions transform their procurement processes.

A few weeks ago at a conference at the Pontifical Academy of Sciences (PAS) in Rome, Italy, you drew the attention of world leaders to the fact that “the food system is deficient, generating more than twice its economic value in additional costs”. Instead, you propose to “draw on indigenous knowledge and modern science”. Can you tell us more about this?

Based on the integration of indigenous knowledge and modern science, I explored the inherent sustainability of indigenous peoples’ food systems and, as an example, the potential of whole foods to improve food security and sustainability. I explored the historical transition from whole grains to refined grains and argued for a return to whole food consumption. Exploiting institutional supply channels, in particular school meals, offers a strategic opportunity to facilitate a shift in consumption patterns towards wholefoods. I concluded by highlighting the Foundation’s commitment to expanding school meal programmes in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), with a focus on integrating sustainability, nutrition and equity principles into food system initiatives.

The funding gap is also one of the keys to understanding the current global food system. How big do you think the funding gap is, and what mechanism do you think would be most appropriate today to raise more capital to boost quality and quantity of supply?

Closing the funding gap in the global food system is essential to improving both the quality and quantity of food supplies. This gap represents the disparity between current investment in food production, distribution and infrastructure, and the level of funding actually needed to achieve sustainable and nutritious food for all. At the Rockefeller Foundation, we recognise that closing this gap is essential to transforming food systems so that they are more equitable, resilient and sustainable.

In some countries where poor electrification is a barrier to food storage, innovations are beginning to emerge. This is the case with the solar fridge that the start-up Koolboks is offering to food producers and traders in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Do you encourage this type of private initiative, and what role does research play in your foundation?

We invest in innovative solutions that use creative thinking to solve important problems such as food storage, shelf life, nutrition, environmental footprint, and so on. Research is an essential part of our institution’s mission. We have a penchant for supporting the growth of policy analysis and economic research, and we try to push the boundaries of research, data, policy and innovation to address global issues related to food, electricity, health and economic mobility.

Are you among those who believe that it is imperative to accelerate the digitisation of agriculture? If so, what concrete contribution can intelligent agriculture make to the food chain (production, processing, distribution, consumption)?

Absolutely, we are fervent advocates of accelerating the digitisation of agriculture, recognising that this is an essential lever for transforming the food system. Many players are investing in this space to revolutionise the way farmers work, offering real-time information on soil health, weather conditions and crop needs. In processing, digital tools can streamline operations, reduce energy consumption and cut costs, making the process more sustainable. In distribution, digital platforms can put farmers in direct contact with markets, eliminating intermediaries and improving small farmers’ incomes. For consumers, digital innovations can ensure that fresher produce reaches their tables faster and at lower cost.

A team at the Foundation is studying how artificial intelligence (AI) can help transform food systems. This is an exciting and rapidly evolving field and we are looking to maximise public impact and value. It is important to prevent the technological divide from widening in society, as this could amplify existing inequalities.

In some cases, agriculture is harmful to the environment through practices that increase erosion and deforestation. This is clearly seen in Ivory Coast (the world’s leading cocoa producer), where forest cover has fallen by around 90% in recent decades, and in Madagascar. For their part, the agri-food multinationals that buy their supplies from producers accused of destroying forests have quickly found a way out with the arrival of the carbon credit market. What do you think of this approach to ecological compensation, which is seen as greenwashing?

The case of Ivory Coast is a stark reminder of the tension between agricultural productivity and environmental sustainability.

Carbon markets have recently been criticised for the integrity of carbon offsets and the perception that they create a licence to pollute, among other contentious issues. However, they offer a promising route to achieving net zero emissions globally, by allowing entities to purchase credits from projects that avoid or remove emissions, often at a lower cost than direct emissions reductions. Today we are discussing the African Carbon Markets Initiative (ACMI), a movement to harness Africa’s potential in the carbon markets sector. Africa’s technical capacity for carbon credits could reach 2.4 billion tonnes of CO₂, worth $50 billion annually by 2030. ACMI is currently helping countries such as Kenya, Mozambique, Rwanda, Ghana and Nigeria to develop robust carbon market frameworks, positioning Africa as a key player in global climate solutions.

From the Rockefeller Foundation’s perspective, it is imperative to seek global solutions that integrate environmental conservation and agricultural innovation. This means investing in regenerative agricultural practices that restore soil health, improve biodiversity and innovations that reduce the need for deforestation. The Novel Fermentation Action Lab, which we have just launched and are piloting in Kenya, is an example of this. This platform aims to create joint ventures between holders of new fermentation technologies and food processing companies, initially in Kenya. For example, these technologies can be used to produce cooking oil at lower cost, thereby avoiding palm oil plantations, which are responsible for deforestation and the loss of biodiversity. Another group has succeeded in producing commercially viable protein powder from food waste. It is tempting to take advantage of these technologies to make nutrient-rich foods more affordable or to reduce the ecological footprint. However, we must be careful not to create other social problems through these technologies, such as the concentration of market power to the benefit of a few.

Cover photo: By AFRIK21