In July 2024, INCiTiS-FOOD and FS4Africa expressed their interest in strengthening cooperation, bringing together complementary expertise in food safety, agricultural innovation and sustainable food systems to address shared challenges across Africa.
Ensuring access to safe, nutritious and affordable food remains a major challenge for many African communities. Beyond increasing food production, sustainable food systems depend on effective food safety practices, reliable value chains and innovative solutions that protect human health while supporting local economies and the environment.
Recognising the importance of addressing these interconnected challenges, the INCiTiS-FOOD and FS4Africa projects established a basis for collaboration through a Letter of Intent (LoI) in July 2024. As two Horizon Europe initiatives working towards more sustainable African food systems, they identified opportunities to combine their expertise and explore areas of mutual interest.
Complementary Approaches to Food Safety and Innovation
INCiTiS-FOOD focuses on improving food and nutrition security and food safety in African cities and towns through the development and implementation of innovative, inclusive and circular agri-food technologies and business models. Through its Living Labs, the project explores solutions such as hydroponics, aquaponics and insect farming, supporting more sustainable food production adapted to local urban contexts.
FS4Africa (Food Safety for Africa) addresses food safety challenges across African food systems, with particular attention to the informal sector. The project aims to transform local markets and improve food safety management through innovative strategies, technological solutions and stronger collaboration between stakeholders. Its work addresses challenges such as mycotoxin contamination, pesticide residues, microbial contamination and food adulteration.
A central aspect of FS4Africa is improving food safety practices among actors operating in informal food value chains, including small-scale food processors, traders and vendors. By developing appropriate policies, business concepts and practical tools, the project seeks to support safer food handling, improve market conditions and facilitate the potential integration of informal businesses into formal food systems.
Although the projects approach food system transformation from different perspectives, food safety represents an important common ground. INCiTiS-FOOD explores how innovative production technologies and circular business models can contribute to safer and more sustainable urban food systems, while FS4Africa focuses on improving food safety practices, market structures and value chains.
Their complementary approaches highlight the importance of considering food safety throughout the food system, from production and processing to distribution and consumption.
Connecting Research and Practical Solutions
Both projects recognise that addressing food system challenges requires collaboration between researchers, businesses, policymakers and local communities. Technological innovation alone cannot ensure sustainable transformation without considering the social, economic and institutional conditions in which food systems operate.
Through its multi-actor approach, INCiTiS-FOOD brings together researchers, entrepreneurs, farmers and other local stakeholders to test and adapt innovative agri-food technologies within African urban environments. Similarly, FS4Africa promotes collaborative approaches to food safety, involving public and private stakeholders in developing solutions that respond to the needs of local markets and food value chain actors.
This shared emphasis on stakeholder engagement and practical implementation creates opportunities to connect research findings with real-world challenges. It also highlights the importance of developing solutions that are not only technologically relevant but also accessible, economically viable and adapted to local conditions.
By addressing different but interconnected aspects of food systems, the projects contribute complementary perspectives on how innovation, improved food safety practices and stakeholder collaboration can support more sustainable food production and distribution.
Looking Ahead
The collaboration between INCiTiS-FOOD and FS4Africa reflects a shared commitment to advancing safer, more sustainable and inclusive food systems across Africa. Bringing together expertise in innovative agri-food technologies and food safety management creates opportunities to strengthen knowledge exchange and explore solutions that benefit both local communities and the wider agri-food sector.
As outlined in their Letter of Intent, potential areas of future cooperation include joint research initiatives, knowledge-sharing activities, workshops and joint publications. Collaborative webinars addressing the links between food safety and food and nutrition security were also identified as a potential way to connect the projects’ expertise and engage relevant stakeholders.
We look forward to exploring these opportunities with the FS4Africa team and strengthening collaboration towards more resilient and sustainable African food systems.
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