SASi-SPi workshop on nutritious food systems in Sierra Leone helped catalyze government commitments

On March 31, 2026, the Scaling Up Nutrition & Food and Nutrition Security Coordination Unit (SUN&FSCU) within the Office of the Vice President, the Sierra Leone Agricultural Research Institute (SLARI), and Agrinatura co-organized a workshop to disseminate findings and recommendations from research conducted in Port Loko and Kenema districts, and at the national level.

Presented research findings and recommendations

The workshop aimed to present research findings and (policy) recommendations to a broad audience and to encourage their uptake. It succeeded in generating strong government engagement. Notably, the Minister of State announced commitments to:

• strengthen demand for nutritious diets through a nationwide campaign promoting local food consumption; 
• revise national food systems pathways to align with existing strategies; and 
• decentralize food systems coordination to enhance district-level ownership and community engagement.

The SASI-SPI team also coordinated with other relevant EU-funded initiatives, including FAO’s review of Sierra Leone’s official food systems pathways and GIZ’s work on a national food systems coordination strategy. The research integrated and built upon the insights from these initiatives, and relevant materials were shared with the workshop participants. 

Broad group of stakeholders

The event brought together a diverse group of stakeholders, including representatives from key government institutions, SUN&FSCU, Presidential Initiative on Climate Change, Renewable, Energy and Food Security (PI-CREF), Ministry of Health (MoH), Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE), Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources (MFMR), Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs (MLGCA), Ministry of Social Welfare (MoSW), Ministry of Planning and Economic Development (MoPED).as well as actors from the private sector, non-governmental and international organizations, and district-level stakeholders such as district councils, farmers’ organizations, and paramount chiefs.

The opening session featured remarks by Ms. Monica Gonzalez (Delegation of the European Union to Sierra Leone), Hon. Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Mr. Sahr Hemore, and Hon. Minister of State in the Office of the Vice President, Madam Manty Tarawalli. The session was moderated by Professor Abdulai Jalloh, Chief Agricultural Officer at MAFS. The event played a key role in attracting political and media attention to the reports’ findings and recommendations. Among others, the workshop received media coverage through a segment on AYV News; a newspaper article, and a LinkedIn post by the Minister of State.

Follow-up on recommendations

There is strong potential for a follow-up phase focused on implementation of some of the reports’ recommendations. Such an additional phase to SASi-SPi in Sierra Leone could adopt a holistic approach, involve again a wide range of stakeholders, and strengthen policy dialogue between the EU and the Government of Sierra Leone.

In conclusion, the workshop met its objectives and generated strong momentum for future collaboration. The next key step is for all relevant stakeholders to implement the reports’ recommendations, in line with their respective organizational mandates. At the district level, it is expected that the visions of a desired future food system — along with the pathways to achieve it — developed during the Multi-Stakeholder Dialogues will inform the formulation and revision of district development plans in Kenema and Port Loko. Additional activities by SASI-SPi — aimed at supporting the implementation of selected priority recommendations at the national level, as well as exploring linkages between cocoa production and nutrition outcomes to inform an EU intervention in the cocoa value chain — remain pending the necessary approvals.

Contact:
Isabelle Vagneron: vagneron@cirad.fr