Addis Ababa, October 22, 2025 (EPH/NIPN) – A one-day seminar titled "Traditional Wisdom and Scientific Innovation for African Food Futures" was held on Wednesday with the aim of discussing a unified vision for building climate-resilient and nutritionally secure food systems across Africa by strategically integrating ancestral wisdom with modern molecular science.
The seminar, held at the National Training Center, the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI), focused on fostering collaboration in the food sector through a One Health approach that integrates regenerative agriculture and insect science to enhance sustainability and optimize the nutritional quality of traditional mixed-crop foods.
Taking part in the seminar were 40 senior and young researchers from renowned health and academic institutions, including the EPHI, Addis Ababa University, Wollo University, Addis Ababa Science and Technology University (AASTU), the University of Nairobi, the New York Botanical Garden, and the National Museums of Kenya. The event featured three insightful presentations by distinguished scholars, fostering a dynamic exchange of ideas and knowledge.
Opening the seminar, Dr. Masresha Tessema, Director of the Nutrition, Environmental Health, and Non-Communicable Disease Research Directorate (NEHNCDRD) at EPHI, remarked that the EPHI is one of Africa's oldest public health institutions, currently preparing to celebrate its 100th anniversary. He emphasized EPHI's longstanding leadership in nutrition-related research and laboratory services, highlighting that the Ethiopian Food Composition Table was developed by the institute during the devastating famine that struck Ethiopia.
Over the years, the Institute has undergone several name changes but has consistently focused on maintaining and enhancing public health services, ultimately adopting the name EPHI. Today, EPHI is recognized as a center of excellence in various nutrition-related activities, including the Periodic Table of Food Initiative (PTFI).
Dr. Masresha also acknowledged Africa's rich natural resources but pointed out that collaboration between researchers and research institutions needs improvement. He stressed the significance of studying indigenous foods in Africa and Ethiopia, noting that this seminar could play a crucial role in strengthening networks between Kenyan and other African academic institutions.
Following the official opening speech, moderated by Dr. Endale Amare, Head of the Nutrition and Food Science Research Division at NEHNCDRD, EPHI, three presentations were delivered. The first presentation was by Professor Patrick Maundu, an ethnobotanist and taxonomist at the National Museums of Kenya, titled "Indigenous Knowledge, Biodiversity, Nutrition, and Health Nexus: Lessons from African Leafy Vegetables Research and Promotion in Sub-Saharan Africa."
Professor Maundu noted a renewed interest over the past three decades in researching and promoting local and indigenous vegetables to address food and nutrition security while enhancing dietary diversity. He highlighted exciting findings that reveal a remarkable diversity of these vegetables and emphasized the valuable knowledge indigenous communities’ hold about them. This knowledge not only underscores the vegetables' potential for commercialization but also their contributions to conservation and climate change efforts.
Next, Associate Professor George Ooko Abong, from the Department of Food Science, Nutrition, and Technology at the University of Nairobi, presented on "Opportunities for Young African Food Scientists: Lessons and Innovations from the University of Nairobi, Kenya." He emphasized the vital role that young food scientists play in tackling food security and sustainability challenges across Africa.
The third presenter, Dr. Xavier Cheseto, a Postdoctoral Fellow at the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), delivered a talk titled "Wisdom in Diversity: Unveiling Africa’s Traditional Foods through Ionomics and Metabolomics." He emphasized that Africa’s food systems are deeply rooted in rich traditional wisdom, biodiversity, and innovation. Dr. Cheseto highlighted how icipe integrates traditional African food knowledge with insect science and regenerative agriculture to develop sustainable and climate-resilient food systems. He noted that initiatives such as the black soldier fly-vegetable climate-smart system not only restore soil health and enhance crop productivity but also align with icipe’s mission to alleviate poverty and ensure food security within a holistic framework that connects human, animal, plant, and environmental health.
Following the three presentations, Dr. Endale invited Zemede Asfaw (PhD), Professor of Ethnobotany, Addis Ababa University, and Alex C. McAlvay (PhD), Scientist, New York Botanical Garden, New York, USA, to share their reflections on the presentations. This was followed by question-and-answer sessions and discussions among all participants.
Finally, Dr. Endale expressed thanks and gratitude to the presenters, discussants, and participants as the meeting came to a close.
