Urban diet transition and its relationship to food security and environmental sustainability: the case of Africa.

• Project/Area Number: 17H05037
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Agricultural science in rural society and development
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Gasparatos Alexandros 東京大学, 未来ビジョン研究センター, 准教授 (20726369)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2021)
• Budget Amount: ¥24,440,000 (Direct Cost: ¥18,800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥5,640,000); Fiscal Year 2020: ¥4,160,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥960,000); Fiscal Year 2019: ¥7,930,000 (Direct Cost: ¥6,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,830,000); Fiscal Year 2018: ¥8,580,000 (Direct Cost: ¥6,600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,980,000); Fiscal Year 2017: ¥3,770,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥870,000)
• Keywords: 食遷移 / 都市 / サハラ以南のアフリカ / 料理用コンロ / 貧困 / 食糧安全保障 / 都市化 / アフリカ / 食料安全保障 / 食慮安全保障 / 環境影響

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This project explored the characteristics, drivers and impact of diet change in African cities through systematic reviews, household surveys and expert interviews. Approximately 500-700 household surveys were conducted in Nairobi, Lilongwe, Maputo and Accra, Kumasi, and Tamale. The surveys identified very diverse diet changes between and within cities, usually characterized by the growing consumption of ultra-processed food (UPF) and meat products. These diet changes were usually associated with the increased availability of this type of food from proliferating supermarket chains that tend to import cheap food which is affordable to poorer segments of society. Changes in urban lifestyles and livelihoods were equally important drivers in some urban contexts. The expert interviews were systematized through Causal Loop Diagrams (CLDs) that show the very linked nature of the drivers and impacts of urban diet changes in the region, suggesting the need for integrated interventions.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

The academic significance lies in the comprehensive exploration of diet change in multiple African cities, beyond the fragmented knowledge from single cities. The results offer valuable insights for policies and interventions that promote healthy and sustainable diet shifts.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Transdisciplinary Research Priorities for Human and Planetary Health in the Context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (2020)
  • Author(s): Kristie L. Ebi, et al. (Takahiro Murakami)
  • Journal Title: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Volume: 17 Issue: 23 Pages: 1-25
  • DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17238890
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Adoption of improved biomass stoves in Kenya: a transect-based approach in Kiambu and Muranga counties (2020)
  • Author(s): Karanja, A., Gasparatos, A
  • Journal Title: Environmental Research Letters Volume: 15 Issue: 2 Pages: 024020-024020
  • DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/ab63e2
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] A multi-stakeholder perception analysis of the adoption, impacts and priority areas in the Kenyan clean cooking sector (2020)
  • Author(s): Karanja, A., Mburu, F., Gasparatos, A.
  • Journal Title: Sustanability Science Volume: 15 Issue: 1 Pages: 333-351
  • DOI: 10.1007/s11625-019-00742-4
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Adoption and impacts of clean bioenergy stoves in Kenya (2019)
  • Author(s): Karanja, A., Gasparatos, A.,
  • Journal Title: Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews Volume: 102 Pages: 285-306
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2018.12.006
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Sustainable food systems - A health perspective (2018)
  • Author(s): Lindgren, E., Harris, F., Dangour, A.D., Gasparatos, A., Hiramatsu, M., Javadi, F., Loken, B., Murakami, T., Scheelbeek, P., Haines, A
  • Journal Title: Sustainability Science Volume: 13 Issue: 6 Pages: 1505-1517
  • DOI: 10.1007/s11625-018-0586-x
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Some critical considerations for future society design (2019)
  • Author(s): Gasparatos, A.
  • Organizer: Tsukuba Conference
• [Presentation] Sustainable food systems in Sub-Saharan Africa (2019)
  • Author(s): Gasparatos, A.
  • Organizer: Invited seminar at University of Antwerp
  • Invited
• [Presentation] Urban dietary transitions in Sub-Sahara Africa: Drivers and Impacts (2018)
  • Author(s): Gasparatos, A.
  • Organizer: 2nd Stockholm-Tokyo Workshop - Ageing societies: Sustainability and Resilience Challenges in the Urban Century
• [Book] Sustainability Challenges in Sub-Saharan Africa I: Continental Perspectives and Insights from Western and Central Africa (2020)
  • Author(s): Gasparatos, A., Naidoo, M., Ahmed, A., Karanja, A., Fukushi, K., Saito, O., Takeuchi, K., (Eds.)
  • Publisher: Springer, Berlin
  • ISBN: 9789811544576
• [Book] Sustainability Challenges in Sub-Saharan Africa II: Insights from Eastern and Southern Africa (2020)
  • Author(s): Gasparatos, A., Ahmed, A., Naidoo, M., Karanja, A., Fukushi, K., Saito, O., Takeuchi, K., (Eds.)
  • Publisher: Springer, Berlin
  • ISBN: 9789811553578
• [Remarks] Gasparatos Lab
  • URL: http://www.gasparatos-lab.org/