We use cookies on our website. Some are necessary for the operation of the website. You can also allow cookies for statistical purposes. You can adjust the data protection settings or agree to all cookies directly.
Data Protection Declaration
Imprint
Collaborative project: Decentralised processing of rarely used plant and animal raw materials into innovative products with high added value to improve the nutritional situation in West Africa. Subproject 3 (UPGRADE Plus)
Project
Project code: 2816PROC03
Contract period: 01.01.2018
- 31.12.2020
Budget: 270,729 Euro
Purpose of research: Applied research
Keywords: global food security, energy efficiency, local supply, food pattern, value chains, food security, processing, nutrition education, food quality, information technology, communication technology, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Nigeria
Empowerment of women, especially of women’s self-help groups to process under-utilized species, is the core piece of the UPGRADE Plus consortial research project (subproject 3). The rationale behind targeting of women is their primary role in childcare and household food production. Strengthening women’s income generating opportunities leads to better food availability for households and particularly for children. The German Institute for Tropical and Subtropical Agriculture (DITSL) leads WP6 and aims to build capacity with women’s groups by guiding them through a collaborative learning process to develop their own processing businesses using locally available materials and renewable energies. Transdisciplinary research conducted with participating women’s groups will assess the situation, arrive at a joint problem-definition, test the processing units of Innotech, and finally, monitor and evaluate the processes to fine-tune their business model for greater sustainability. This will contribute to improve the food security in Sierra Leone, Ghana and Nigeria by extending the shelf-life of under-utilized species, thereby increasing the availability of nutritious foods through new and diversified value chains. To share the lessons learnt, outreach materials will be co-developed with the women’s groups so that others can gain motivation and inspiration to process under-utilized species into nutritious food products, improve their livelihoods and create change in their regions.
Section overview
Subjects
- Agricultural Sociology
- Food Processing
- Communication Sciences
- Resource management
- Agroeconomics
- Nutritional behaviour
Funding programme
Excutive institution
German Institute for Tropical and Subtropical Agriculture (DITSL)
Funding institution
Project management agencies
Associated projects: UPGRADE Plus
- Collaborative project: Decentralised processing of rarely used plant and animal raw materials into innovative products with high added value to improve the nutritional situation in West Africa. Subproject 1
- Collaborative project: Decentralised processing of rarely used plant and animal raw materials into innovative products with high added value to improve the nutritional situation in West Africa. Subproject 2
