Food Systems Transformation in Southern Africa for One Health (FoSTA-Health) will develop ambitious and inclusive visions of, and action plans for food systems transformation for achieving positive One Health outcomes in southern Africa. The project is centered around four key transformation agendas: (1) transformations within and out of maize; (2) transformations of land use and irrigation; (3) transformations from domestic to export markets; and (4) diet diversification. In relation to each, we will work with cross-system stakeholder groups (from government, industry, farmers, non-governmental organisations, and rural communities) and draw on evidence from case study contexts in Malawi, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia to build an understanding of the complex system dynamics that link food systems transformation to diverse animal, environmental and human health outcomes. A set of representative transformation pathways (RTPs) describing alternative plausible transformation futures, will be outlined, and novel integrated modelling tools used to collaboratively evaluate the potential these offer for delivering positive One Health outcomes. This will be combined with a mapping and analysis of leverage points of food system transformation at local/landscape, national and regional government, and supply chain scales. Action plans will be developed and capacities built for supporting action around leverage points at each of these scales. Across FoSTA-Health particular attention will be paid to equity and justice in the visioning, governing and outcomes of transformative change. Critical reflection on participation and power dynamics within the focal contexts of the project, and within the project itself, will be the basis for making recommendations and advocating for the equitable and inclusive governance of food systems transformation.

Food and nutrition security and sustainable agriculture (FNSSA) are among the critical development concerns in Africa. FNSSA is among the policy priorities in many African countries and at the center of the AU/EU international development agenda. FNSSA was the priority R&I area in the AU-EU High Level Policy Dialogue on Science, Technology, and Innovation. This was further substantiated by the establishment of the Pan-African Network for Economic Analysis of Policies (PANAP). StEPPFoS thus, aims contribute to the FNSSA 10-year roadmap and the global transition towards sustainable food systems through the implementation of activities that link PANAP to the FNSSA partnership. Specific objectives are (1) to improved capacities of stakeholders (2) to enhanced science-policy interface (3) to improve strategies that promote scientific support within policy development (4) to expand and strengthen the PANAP Network. StEPPFoS will be implemented through its 8 work-packages (WPs) over a period of 48 months. Capacity building, stakeholder engagements, participatory monitoring, evaluation, and learning are the main methods to be used to deliver StEPPFoS objectives whiles adhering to open science principles and effective data management practices. The consortium is well positioned to deliver these objectives as it draws on the expertise and experiences of its partners drawn from both Europe and Africa credible academic, research, and policy institutions.

CEA-FIRST, the Consortium Europe Africa on Research and Innovation for Food Systems Transformation, consists of 21 partners from Africa and Europe, partly from the former LEAP4FNSSA, extended with new public and private network partners. CEA-FIRST will operationalise the International Research Consortium (IRC) as a long-term platform on food and nutrition security and sustainable agriculture (FNSSA) in line with the FNSSA Roadmap of the AU-EU High-Level Policy Dialogue (HLPD). This IRC is a member-based, multi-actor platform and will work towards increasing synergies and coherence while reducing fragmentation and duplication of research efforts. Its aim is to promote higher returns on investments and impact on business development in Africa and Europe, by linking actors, research and innovation projects, initiatives, and funding programmes. CEA-FIRST will: 1. provide public access to a large knowledge platform, 2. offer a sound method for analysis of R&I activities, 3. support the updating of the FNSSA Roadmap, 4. establish operational working groups and thematic research calls. The final output will be a fully functional IRC, including governance bodies. CEA-FIRST will also support its liaison with the High-Level Policy Dialogue (HLPD). It will create a learning environment, including communication channels, to support multi stakeholder networks and to strengthen R&I coordination. The IRC will also serve related AU-EU policy priorities, such as the Climate Change and Sustainable Energy and the Innovation Agenda of the HLPD, as well as the European Green Deal priorities (and farm to fork strategy) and the AU priorities like the African Free Trade Area.