The African Regional Collaborative for Agriculture, Nutrition and Health (ANH-ARC) was launched at the University of Ghana on 30 April 2026. This science–policy platform aims to strengthen evidence, policy and investments in food systems and nutrition across the continent.
As a partner in the ANH-ARC, NRI will play a central role in shaping research and delivery, contributing expertise in food systems, food environments, and public health nutrition.
The initiative is co-led by the University of Ghana, the Policy Studies Institute in Ethiopia and Stellenbosch University in South Africa, and forms part of the wider ANH Academy Science–Policy Platform, convened by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine in collaboration with Tufts University and the University of Sheffield.
Food systems across Africa are facing increasing pressure from intersecting challenges, including malnutrition, rising food prices, climate change, urbanisation and fragmented governance. While the scientific evidence base around these challenges has grown significantly in recent years, translation of evidence into policy and practice is urgently needed. ANH-ARC seeks to address this gap by strengthening the interface between science, policy and implementation. Bringing together researchers, policymakers and practitioners, the initiative will generate, synthesise and translate high-quality evidence around three interconnected themes: food environments, diet quality and health; economics and financing of food systems transformation; and food system governance.
NRI’s role in advancing food systems research and policy
Dr Christopher Turner, Senior Lecturer in Food Systems and Public Health Nutrition at NRI, is a Co-Investigator of the ANH-ARC. He brings specialist expertise in food environment research to the thematic area on ‘Food Environments, Diet Quality and Health’, addressing regional, national and local scale dynamics shaping food environments across Africa.
As part of this work, Dr Turner will lead a dedicated work package seeking to understand the lived experience of food policy implementation and its real-world impact among diverse stakeholders. This will involve focal studies in Ghana, Ethiopia and South Africa in collaboration with partners from the University of Ghana, the Policy Studies Institute, and Stellenbosch University. Through this work, NRI will contribute to strengthening the evidence base on food environments and diet quality, while also supporting participatory learning and community-informed research approaches that reflect the lived realities of people on the ground.
Dr Turner will also play an active role in capability sharing across the ANH-ARC network and support efforts to translate research into policy-relevant insights, helping ensure that evidence informs decision-making in meaningful and practical ways.
He said: ‘We are thrilled to be launching the ANH-ARC. This ambitious science-policy platform spans food environments, economics and financing, political economy and governance – providing a unique opportunity for integrated interdisciplinary research across the continent in pursuit of more equitable and climate sensitive food systems. I’m looking forward to working on the theme “Food Environments, Diet Quality and Health”, where we will undertake participatory research with stakeholders in Ghana, Ethiopia and South Africa to understand their lived experience of food environments in relation to national policy landscapes and wider regional trade agreements.’
Strengthening evidence for impact
Strategic partnerships are central to the delivery of ANH-ARC, with NRI joining a network of leading African and international organisations working across sub-regions. Together, these partners aim to accelerate coordinated action and ensure that evidence is effectively embedded in decision-making processes.
The initiative aligns with major continental frameworks, including the African Union’s Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), the Kampala Declaration, and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), contributing to more coherent and evidence-informed food systems transformation across Africa.
Through its role in ANH-ARC, NRI continues to build on its long-standing work at the intersection of agriculture, nutrition and health, supporting partnerships that connect research with policy and practice to deliver sustainable and equitable outcomes.