The EWA-BELT project aims at developing SI of agriculture productions in organic, agroforestry and mixed crop and livestock farming systems in 38 study areas of 6 countries belonging to East (Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania) and West (Burkina Faso, Ghana, Sierra Leone) Africa. The research activities, carried out in Farmer Field Research Units (FFRU), will address areas including marginalized and/or abandoned lands and existing agricultural lands to increase their yield potential. Through integrated participative researches, innovative tools (FFRU, ICT, Integrated Pest Disease Management - IPDM) and identification and dissemination of best practices, all countries will be linked into an interregional East-West African BELT able to reinforce SI in agriculture. The project will enhance the current scientific knowledge on the adaptation of new and improved traditional crops in different agroecosystems and the impacts of traditional agricultural practices on soil health in terms of nutrients, water retention and organic matter content. EWA-BELT will also investigate the introduction of innovative and appropriate plant protection technologies in the IPDM for key crops and the identification of a set of indicators to be used in the assessment of the SI approach impacts taking into account environmental health and, synergically, economic and social aspects. The project will introduce highly innovative cost-affordable technologies, to be easily used in the field by unskilled personnel. Technical benefits provided by all implemented techniques will be then evaluated for their economic effect on farmers and along the value chain. EWA-BELT will address gender issues and empowering women at every stage of the process. Finally, to maximize the impact, project results (in progress and final achievements) will be yearly disseminated during the “Infopoverty U.N. Conference”, one of the U.N. highest-level initiatives to elaborate strategies and design solutions towards SI.

AFRIFOOD-Links AfriFOODlinks aims to improve food and nutrition security, while delivering positive outcomes for climate and the environment, and building social and ecological resilience in 65+ Cities (15 African and 5 European Implementation cities and 40+ Network Cities) cities by: 1) applying an urban food systems lens to promote shifts to healthy, sustainable diets, 2) transforming urban food environments through real-world socio-technical experiments; 3) promoting inclusive multi-actor governance to empower public officials, small businesses and communities with ownership and agency to shape their food systems; and 4) accelerating innovative, women- and youth-led agri-food businesses to support local value addition and inclusive economic participation. AfriFOODlinks invests in direct food system change in 5 African Hub Cities, and invites 10 African and 5 European Sharing Cities to join the Hub Cities on a mutual-learning journey, to share their innovative food systems and to co-design specific pilot projects for implementation in each Sharing City. Researchers, posted within each of the 20 local governments, will support the city to articulate its identified food system challenges and own authentic approach to improving access to healthy, nutritious food - with a particular attention to vulnerable groups - and reducing food related environmental impacts through food systems intervention. In this way, these implementation cities become flagships - beacons of inspiration for urban food systems transitions across the continent to inspire and share with over 40 Network cities, who are invited to adopt and adapt.