As part of the Food Systems Transformation Through School Feeding initiative, a community-led cooking demonstration was conducted in Ghana to support the integration of orange-fleshed sweet potatoes (OFSP) into school meals programmes.

Our first policy brief, Utilising Geospatial Data Analysis to Enhance School Meals and Regenerative Agriculture Interventions mapped the socio-ecological “hotspots” where key socio-ecological variables converge in Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, and Rwanda. The analysis allowed us to identify the regions where these intersecting challenges are most severe.

In Ghana, researchers seek to leverage the GSFP as a platform for food systems transformation by growing climate-smart, nutritious crop species in school farms to supply the GSFP, strengthen local value chains, and expand opportunities for rural women and youth. 

This policy brief uses geospatial data to analyse challenges and opportunities for linking school meals programmes (SMPs) and regenerative agriculture (RA) interventions in Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, and Rwanda. It maps key socio-ecological variables—including population density, biodiversity threats, agroecological zones, farm size, water risk, land degradation, poverty levels, and school attendance—to gain insights into food production demand and supply barriers.

In Ghana and Nigeria, stakeholders involved in country SMP initiatives recently convened to discuss and analyze pathways through which SMP and RA interactions may open opportunities for influencing and transforming national food systems. This brief shares findings from the two workshops.