Perspective:FoodEnvironmentResearchPriorities forAfrica—LessonsfromtheAfricaFood EnvironmentResearchNetwork

Abstract

Over the last 2 decades, many African countries have undergone dietary and nutrition transitions fueled by globalization, rapid urbanization, and development. These changes have altered African food environments and, subsequently, dietary behaviors, including food acquisition and consumption. Dietary patterns associated with the nutrition transition have contributed to Africa’s complex burden of malnutrition—obesity and other diet-related noncommunicablediseases (DR-NCDs)—along withpersistent foodinsecurityand undernutrition.Available evidence links unhealthy or obesogenic food environments (including those that market and offer energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods and beverages) with suboptimaldietsandassociatedadversehealthoutcomes.Elsewhere,governmentshaverespondedwithpoliciestoimprovefoodenvironments. However, in Africa, the necessary research and policy action have received insufficient attention. Contextual evidence to motivate, enable, and create supportive food environments in Africa for better population health is urgently needed. In November 2020, the Measurement, Evaluation, Accountability, and Leadership Support for Noncommunicable Diseases Prevention Project (MEALS4NCDs) convened the first Africa Food Environment Research Network Meeting (FERN2020). This 3-d virtual meeting brought researchers from around the world to deliberate on futuredirectionsandresearchprioritiesrelatedtoimprovingfoodenvironmentsandnutritionacrosstheAfricancontinent.Thestakeholdersshared experiences, best practices, challenges, and opportunities for improving the healthfulness of food environments and related policies in low- and middle-income countries. In this article, we summarize the proceedings and research priorities identified in the meeting to advance the food