Tackling Obesity in Africa Through Sustainable Food Systems and Consumption Practices

 

Source: agsinger.com

Obesity is a severe form of overweight and leads to a higher risk of developing insulin resistance and high blood pressure, as well as life-threatening diseases later in life, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers.

It is emerging as a pressing public health challenge across Africa. Traditionally associated with high-income countries, obesity is now rising in African nations due to rapid urbanisation, dietary transitions, and sedentary lifestyles (Popkin et al., 2020).

The World Health Organisation (WHO, 2023) estimates that over 18 million African adults are obese, with prevalence expected to increase as processed and energy-dense foods dominate diets. Addressing this challenge requires a systemic shift towards sustainable food systems and healthier consumption practices that can simultaneously improve nutrition, safeguard the environment, and promote long-term resilience.

Furthermore, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) released a Global Report titled: The 2025 Child Nutrition Report – ‘Feeding Profit: How food environments are failing children’, which reveals how unhealthy food environments are contributing to the worldwide surge in overweight and obesity in children and adolescents. 

The Report warns that as countries like Uganda and others in Africa transition to middle-income status, ultra-processed foods and beverages become more widely available and more affordable, increasing the prevalence of overweight among children across all household income levels.

What can be done to offset this danger? To what extent can sustainable food systems be part of the solution?

Sustainable Food Systems for Healthier Diets

Sustainable food systems provide safe, nutritious food while preserving the environment, supporting livelihoods, and promoting equity (FAO, 2018). For Africa, strengthening such systems is key to reversing obesity trends. One approach is boosting local production and consumption of traditional nutrient-rich crops such as millet, sorghum, beans, and leafy vegetables. 

These foods are less processed, have lower carbon footprints, and contribute to dietary diversity (Hawkes et al., 2020). Initiatives in Ethiopia and Nigeria promoting indigenous grains have been linked to healthier dietary choices and lower reliance on imported ultra-processed foods (Akinola et al., 2021).

Boosting Traditional Crops through Schools

Schools are powerful platforms for promoting sustainable diets and preventing obesity. Integrating traditional crops into school feeding programmes creates demand for local agriculture while shaping healthier eating habits in children.

The Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (HGSF) promoted by the World Food Programme (WFP) in countries such as Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya sources local grains, legumes, and vegetables for school meals (WFP, 2020). This improves child nutrition while providing smallholder farmers with predictable markets. In Ghana, linking school meals to yam, cowpea, and millet production has enhanced both student nutrition outcomes and farmer incomes (Aurino et al., 2019).

School gardens and nutrition education further reinforce healthy habits. In Uganda, the “School Garden Initiative” teach children to grow amaranth and cowpeas, linking classroom learning with practical skills (FAO, 2021). Targeting schools also prevents early exposure to sugary drinks and energy-dense snacks, which are strong predictors of overweight later in life (Popkin et al., 2020). Embedding agriculture, education, and health objectives into school feeding policies ensures that boosting traditional food consumption becomes part of a sustainable, multi-sectoral strategy.

South Africa: A Case Study

South Africa faces one of the highest obesity rates in Africa, with nearly 40% of adult women classified as obese (WHO, 2023). The government introduced a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) in 2018, resulting in reduced purchases of sugary drinks and lower calorie intake, particularly among lower-income households (Stacey et al., 2022). Complementing this, South Africa’s “Food-Based Dietary Guidelines” encourage culturally relevant, healthier diets emphasising fruits, vegetables, and legumes (Vorster et al., 2013). Together, these interventions illustrate how fiscal policies and education can promote sustainable consumption.

Comparative Lessons from Latin America

Latin America provides additional lessons for Africa. Mexico’s 2014 SSB tax led to sustained reductions in sugary drink purchases, especially among low-income households (Colchero et al., 2017). Beyond taxation, Mexico and Chile implemented front-of-package warning labels to guide consumer choices and restrict misleading marketing to children (Taillie et al., 2020). These measures demonstrate that combining fiscal and regulatory policies can amplify the impact of programs promoting traditional, nutritious foods.

Challenges and Opportunities

Despite these opportunities, challenges remain. Poverty and food insecurity lead many Africans to prioritise affordability over nutrition (Popkin et al., 2020). Weak regulatory frameworks and limited enforcement capacity hinder efforts to control aggressive marketing by multinational food corporations. Cultural perceptions linking overweight with prosperity also complicate behavioural change (Steyn & Temple, 2022). Nonetheless, integrating obesity prevention into broader development strategies—including local agriculture, school feeding, and fiscal measures—offers promising pathways for sustainable impact.

Recommendations for Africa

Integrate Indigenous Crops into School Feeding Programmes

• Prioritise nutrient-rich local foods in school meals and support smallholder farmers through procurement contracts.
• Include school gardens and nutrition education to reinforce lifelong healthy habits.

Implement Fiscal and Regulatory Measures

• Expand SSB taxes and introduce warning labels on ultra-processed foods.
• Restrict marketing of unhealthy foods to children and adolescents.

Promote Urban and Rural Food Environments that Support Healthy Diets

• Invest in urban agriculture and local markets to improve access to traditional foods.
• Regulate the density of fast food establishments around schools and workplaces.

Strengthen Cross-Sectoral Policy Coordination

• Integrate agriculture, health, and education policies to address obesity, malnutrition, and sustainability simultaneously.
• Encourage public-private partnerships for food innovation and the distribution of nutrient-rich local foods.
• Monitor and evaluate interventions to inform iterative policy improvements.

Conclusion

Africa’s rising obesity challenge reflects unsustainable food systems and consumption patterns. By promoting indigenous crops through school feeding, regulating urban food environments, incentivising healthier choices, and reshaping consumer demand, African countries can build sustainable, health-promoting food systems. 

South Africa’s SSB tax demonstrates the effectiveness of fiscal measures, while lessons from Latin America highlight the added value of labelling and marketing regulations. Implementing these strategies collectively positions Africa to reduce obesity, enhance nutrition, and foster sustainable development.

References

• Akinola, R., Pereira, L., Mabhaudhi, T., de Bruin, F., & Rusch, L. (2021). A review of indigenous food crops in Africa and the implications for sustainable food systems. Sustainability, 13(2), 1–19.
• Aurino, E., Tranchant, J. P., Sekou Diallo, A., & Gelli, A. (2019). School feeding or general food distribution? Quasi-experimental evidence on the educational impacts of emergency food assistance during conflict in Mali. Journal of Development Studies, 55(1), 7–28.
• Colchero, M. A., Rivera-Dommarco, J., Popkin, B. M., & Ng, S. W. (2017). In Mexico, evidence of sustained consumer response two years after implementing a sugar-sweetened beverage tax. Health Affairs, 36(3), 564–571.
• FAO. (2018). Sustainable food systems: Concept and framework. Food and Agriculture Organization.
• FAO. (2021). School gardens for education and health. Food and Agriculture Organization.
• Hawkes, C., Ruel, M. T., Salm, L., Sinclair, B., & Branca, F. (2020). Double-duty actions: Seizing programme and policy opportunities to address malnutrition in all its forms. Lancet, 395(10218), 142–155.
• Popkin, B. M., Corvalan, C., & Grummer-Strawn, L. M. (2020). Dynamics of the double burden of malnutrition and the changing nutrition reality. Lancet, 395(10217), 65–74.
• Stacey, N., et al. (2022). Changes in beverage purchases following the implementation of a sugar-based tax in South Africa. Health Economics, 31(3), 475–491.
• Steyn, N. P., & Temple, N. J. (2022). Evidence to support a food-based dietary guideline on sugar consumption in Africa. South African Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 35(2), 56–62.
• Taillie, L. S., et al. (2020). An evaluation of Chile’s law of food labelling and advertising on sugar-sweetened beverage purchases from 2015 to 2017. PLOS Medicine, 17(2), e1003015.
• United Nations Children’s Fund (2025), Feeding Profit. How food environments are failing children. Child Nutrition Report 2025, Report Brief, UNICEF, New York, September 2025 https://www.unicef.org/reports/feeding-profit
• Vorster, H. H., et al. (2013). The development of South African food-based dietary guidelines for adults. South African Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 26(3), S5–S12.
• WFP. (2020). State of school feeding worldwide 2020. World Food Programme.
• WHO. (2023). Obesity and overweight – Africa region. World Health Organisation.