Dr Joshua Wesana
Dr Joshua Wesana has a background in Nutrition and holds a PhD in Food Science and Nutrition from Ghent University, Belgium. His PhD focused on nutrition sensitive approaches and specifically took on a stakeholder-based view of utilizing agri-food value chains for nutrition benefits, with a focus on assessment and reduction of food and nutritional losses. This research used the cross-cutting operations management theory of Lean and applied it in the agri-food (dairy) sector to improve efficiency and eliminate waste and loss. Before his PhD, Joshua pursued two Master degrees in – Human Nutrition at Ghent University (Belgium) and Public Health Epidemiology at Karolinska Institute (Sweden). During this time, his research mainly focused on adoption and consumption of biofortified foods. This work contributed greatly to on-going collation of scientific evidence by the WHO to develop guidelines to use biofortification as a public health strategy.
During and after his PhD, he also worked as a manager/deputy-coordinator of various agri-food based research and capacity building programs and projects in Uganda and Kenya. Notably, since 2015, he was program manager for a long-term institutional collaboration between Mountains of the Moon University (Uganda) and Ghent University (Belgium), overseeing two projects targeting improved food security by promoting interventions in the fish and dairy value chains. He has also developed and managed individual action research projects in Uganda and Kenya on; food losses among farmers, agronomic iodine biofortification, insects-based complementary foods, fish farmer business development and aquaculture education development.
Joshua’s interdisciplinary research interest continues to be on food systems and the impact on food and nutrition security, particularly in developing countries. He therefore joined Natural Resources Institute in June 2020 as a Senior Fellow in Fish and Food Systems (Nutritional Outcomes), initially working, in collaboration with WorldFish and other partners on the CGIAR Research Program on Fish, to amplify the role fish plays in sub-Saharan African food systems and mitigate food and nutrition insecurity among the most vulnerable populations.
- Keen to advance nutritional knowledge that can lead to policy change to benefit people mostly in locations with the greatest nutrient deficiencies.
- Interested in nutrition-sensitive approaches that mainly lead to improved nutritional outcomes.
- Research taking on a sustainable food systems perspective, particularly along fish value chains, while considering other dimensions like food environments, consumer behaviour and external drivers. Assessment of Post-Harvest losses along fish value chains, including nutritional losses and how these can be mitigated for better nutritional outcomes. Also building evidence on product development, access and consumption of nutrient-rich foods such as fish products among vulnerable, poor and rural sub-populations including women and children.
- Olum, Solomon, Wesana, Joshua, Odongo, Walter, Mogendi, Joseph, Okello, Collins, Webale, Dominic, Makokha, Anselimo, Ongeng, Duncan, Gellynck, Xavier and De Steur, Hans (2020) Agronomic biofortification from a stakeholder's viewpoint: evidence from studies on iodine‐enriched foods in Uganda. In: Benkeblia, Noureddine, (ed.) Vitamins and Minerals Biofortification of Edible Plants. Wiley, pp. 163-190. ISBN 978-1119511144 (doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119511144.ch8)
- Wesana, Joshua, Schouteten, Joachim, Van Acker, Evi, Gellynck, Xavier and De Steur, Hans (2019) On consumers’ use, brand preference and equity of sports nutrition products. British Food Journal, 122 (2). pp. 635-654. ISSN 0007-070X (doi:https://doi.org/10.1108/bfj-08-2019-0589)
- Wesana, Joshua, Gellynck, Xavier, Dora, Manoj, Pearce, Darian and De Steur, Hans (2019) Measuring food and nutritional losses through value stream mapping along the dairy value chain in Uganda. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 150:104416. ISSN 0921-3449 (doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2019.104416)
- Kamrath, Carolin, Wesana, Joshua, Bröring, Stefanie and De Steur, Hans (2019) What do we know about chain actors’ evaluation of new food technologies? A systematic review of consumer and farmer studies. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, 18 (3). pp. 798-816. ISSN 1541-4337 (Online) (doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/1541-4337.12442)
- Dora, Manoj, Wesana, Joshua, Gellynck, Xavier, Seth, Nitin, Dey, Bidit and De Steur, Hans (2019) Importance of sustainable operations in food loss: evidence from the Belgian food processing industry. Annals of Operations Research, 290. pp. 47-72. ISSN 0254-5330 (Print), 1572-9338 (Online) (doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s10479-019-03134-0)
- Pearce, Darian, Dora, Manoj, Wesana, Joshua and Gellynck, Xavier (2018) Determining factors driving sustainable performance through the application of lean management practices in horticultural primary production. Journal of Cleaner Production, 203. pp. 400-417. ISSN 0959-6526 (doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.08.170)
- Wesana, Joshua, De Steur, Hans, Dora, Manoj, Mutenyo, Emma, Muyama, Lucia and Gellynck, Xavier (2018) Towards nutrition sensitive agriculture. Actor readiness to reduce food and nutrient losses or wastes along the dairy value chain in Uganda. Journal of Cleaner Production, 182. pp. 46-56. ISSN 0959-6526 (doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.02.021)
- De Steur, Hans, Wesana, Joshua, Blancquaert, Dieter, Van Der Straeten, Dominique and Gellynck, Xavier (2016) Methods matter: a meta-regression on the determinants of willingness-to-pay studies on biofortified foods. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1290 (1). pp. 34-46. ISSN 0077-8923 (Print), 1749-6632 (Online) (doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.13277)
- De Steur, Hans, Wesana, Joshua, Blancquaert, Dieter, Van Der Straeten, Dominique and Gellynck, Xavier (2016) The socioeconomics of genetically modified biofortified crops: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1390 (1). pp. 14-33. ISSN 0077-8923 (Print), 1749-6632 (Online) (doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.13199)
- De Steur, Hans, Wesana, Joshua, Dora, Manoj K., Pearce, Darian and Gellynck, Xavier (2016) Applying value stream mapping to reduce food losses and wastes in supply chains: a systematic review. Waste Management, 58. pp. 359-368. ISSN 0956-053X (Print), 1879-2456 (Online) (doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2016.08.025)
- De Steur, Hans, Birundu Mogendi, Joseph, Wesana, Joshua, Anselimo, Makokha and Xavier, Gellynck (2015) Stakeholder reactions toward iodine biofortified foods. An application of protection motivation theory. Appetite, 92. pp. 295-302. ISSN 0195-6663 (doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2015.05.038)
- STFC Food Network, UK – Champion for Africa from 2020
- European Association of Agricultural Economics – Member, 2016-2019