High Iron Beans and Hidden Hunger: An Interview with Prisca Kokutona Rwezahura, Country Director of GAIN Tanzania

GAIN Tanzania is at the forefront of efforts to tackle micronutrient deficiencies through biofortification, an approach that enhances the nutritional content of staple crops. One of its most impactful initiatives has focused on high iron beans (HIB), a locally accepted, nutrient-rich variety introduced through partnerships with schools and farming communities. By connecting farmers to institutional markets and supporting local seed systems, GAIN is creating a sustainable, scalable model for improving diets and livelihoods. In this interview, Prisca Kokutona Rwezahura, Country Director -GAIN Tanzania, reflects on this journey- sharing insights into policy, partnerships, and what’s next for biofortification in the country.

GAIN Working Paper n°55: Mapping Of Influential Stakeholders in Nutrition and The Food System in Rwanda

- 15/08/2025

Rwanda faces persistent challenges with malnutrition, and there is increasing interest in the country in taking a food systems approach to tackling it. However, getting this new approach into the development and agricultural sector’s agendas requires understanding the landscape of actors involved. In response, the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition commissioned an analytical mapping of actors involved in nutrition and the food system in Rwanda, which was implemented by the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute. This was accomplished by conducting a stakeholder mapping at district and national levels through key informant interviews and Net-Map analysis as well as a policy landscape analysis.

Promoting Breastfeeding for Healthy Planet

Breastfeeding not only contributes to positive nutrition and health outcomes, but also to environmental sustainability by significantly reducing the environmental footprint associated with the production, packaging, distribution and consumption of infant formula. The environmental benefits of breastfeeding are multi-faceted.

Engaging Media to Drive Food System Transformation in Ethiopia

Food system transformation is reshaping how food is produced, processed, distributed, and consumed to create a more sustainable, fair, and healthy system. It demands a deep, collective effort involving multiple layers of society - farmers, policymakers, businesses, consumers, and more. But changing such a complex system isn’t just about policies or farming techniques. It’s about changing hearts and minds too. This is where media and journalists have a fundamental role.

GAIN Kenya and UNICEF Partner to Improve Nutrition for the Most Vulnerable

GAIN Kenya is proud to announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with UNICEF Kenya to strengthen efforts to improve access to nutritious, safe, and sustainable foods for the most vulnerable. This strategic partnership underscores a shared commitment to addressing malnutrition and shaping healthier food environments for children, adolescents, and families in Kenya. The MOU was officially signed on 24th June 2025.

Food Systems Countdown Initiative Country Policy Brief Kenya

- 25/07/2025

Kenya’s engagement in food systems transformation reflects a strong policy commitment and growing political will to address persistent food and nutrition security challenges. This ambition is evident in progressive national frameworks such as the National Food and Nutrition Security Policy (2011), Agricultural Sector Transformation and Growth Strategy (2019–2029), Agricultural Soils Management Policy (2023), and the newly launched National Agroecology Strategy for Food System Transformation (2024–2033). These strategies are aligned with global and regional commitments, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Paris Agreement on climate change mitigation, and the Malabo Declaration on comprehensive African agricultural development, signalling Kenya’s intention to lead in advancing climateresilient and equitable food systems.

Food Systems Countdown Initiative Country Policy Brief Nigeria

- 25/07/2025

Nigeria stands at a critical juncture in its food systems transformation journey. As Africa’s most populous nation with over 225 million people, Nigeria has demonstated significant political commitment to food systems transformation, explicitly embedding goals in its National Pathways to Food Systems Transformation and developing comprehensive policy frameworks following the 2021 United Nations Food Systems Summit. The country’s engagement in global food systems transformation efforts led to the development of an implementation strategy for the National Pathways to Food Systems Transformation, coordinated by the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, which serves as the National Convenor for this agenda.

Priority Value Chains for Investing in Women’s Nutrition

- 21/07/2025

Malnutrition in all its forms continues to be a major public health challenge worldwide, and progress on improving it has been very slow, with no country on track to meet global nutrition goals and the number of people affected by hunger or unable to afford a healthy diet rising in recent years.