GAIN Working Paper n°74: Improving Diet Quality in West Africa- The Role of Intra-regional Food Trade

- 20/08/2026

Food trade plays a significant role in shaping food security and nutrition worldwide, with both positive and negative implications for diet quality. This is particularly relevant in West Africa, where persistent challenges such as low dietary diversity and limited affordability of healthy diets coexist with rapidly changing food consumption patterns. Intra-regional food trade is especially important in this context, yet its scale and nutritional significance remain poorly understood due to the large share of trade that goes unrecorded in official statistics.

Jack Beans Thrive During El Niño Conditions

Jack bean offers Indonesia a practical, climate-resilient crop option at a time when El Niño, drought and rising climate variability are putting farmers, food security and agricultural systems under increasing pressure. Drawing on experiences from drought-prone regions across Indonesia, the blog highlights how jack bean continues to grow, flower and produce when crops such as maize, chili and soybean struggle or fail. Its deep roots, nitrogen-fixing ability, tolerance of poor soils and potential use in foods such as tempeh make it valuable for smallholder resilience, soil health, food diversification and reducing dependence on imported soybeans. The blog argues that Indonesia should give jack bean stronger policy, research, extension and market support as part of its climate adaptation and food security strategies.

The Priority List: which foods have the greatest potential to improve nutrition?

A new tool helps decision makers do just that. The Priority List uses a holistic food rating system called the Nutritional Value Score to identify the most nutritious foods for programmes and policies. In low- and middle-income countries where GAIN and partners work, every bite counts towards tackling persistent undernutrition and rising rates of diet-related chronic disease.

GAIN Working Paper n°71: Crowdsourcing in Food Systems Research: Lessons from Indonesia and Kenya

- 07/08/2026

Crowdsourcing, i.e., leveraging digital platforms to mobilise distributed contributors for data collection, harnessing the collective power of large, distributed networks of people to accomplish such tasks through open calls has gained traction in recent years, yet practical guidance for implementation in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) remains limited. This paper examines lessons from three food systems research case studies conducted by the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition in Indonesia and Kenya between 2019-2024, analysing what worked, what didn't, and why.

Strengthening Local Enterprise to Improve Access to Nutritious Food

In Tehene, a remote community near Gurué in central Mozambique, high costs and difficult market access mean families rarely eat animal-source foods such as frozen fish or chicken. To help close this gap, entrepreneur Inocêncio Calado founded Alto Licungo, a cold chain distribution business supported by GAIN’s Improving the Consumption of Animal Source Foods project. Inspired by his late father, Inocêncio is helping transport perishable foods safely across long distances so rural communities can access nutritious foods more regularly.

International Youth Day 2026

12 August 2026- 12 August 2026Global

Join GAIN and partners for a virtual webinar exploring how consumer demand, private-sector strategies and enabling policies can support healthier diets across Africa. The session will bring together evidence, practical experience and policy insights ahead of the Africa Food Systems Forum 2026 Nutrition and Health Platform.