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Alert Note: My food is African, a deep dive into alternatives in the African food traditions

The Project "Mobilizing for African Food Policy” (MAFP) specifically aims at embracing the consumption of healthy and culturally appropriate foods supported by a favorable food policy. The overall objective was to generate knowledge on local and traditional culinary practices in different regions of Rwanda, with a purpose to produce a tool for sensitization of stakeholders to produce and consume healthy foods. Having an assumption that there are cultural traditions in preparing and eating healthy foods in ancient Rwanda we need to know how traditionally, healthy foods were prepared and served in different parts of the country. We need to document both the culinary practices from elders and look at the written sources on the same topic of healthy foods in Africa and Rwanda in particular.

This baseline survey contributes to the generation of knowledge in relation to the culinary practices, assumptions on cultural foods, characteristics of a healthy food system, the tradition and culture of cuisines of Africa, the traditional cuisines of Rwanda as a cultural heritage. The report is a training, sensitization and advocacy tool for the campaign My food is African. The baseline articulates the need for conducting a national campaign for traditional healthy foods There is need to conduct a campaign's with a purpose to increase consumption of healthful and culturally acceptable foods, which will be supported by favorable food policy that safeguards diverse, resilient, and nutritious Rwandan foods. There is need for awareness raising and sensitization for policymakers for them to support agroecology through a cohesive food policy.

There is need for sustainable consumption, and market access in order to encourage the consumption of healthful and culturally acceptable meals. Furthermore, the campaign within the community is also needed to raise awareness and sensitize farmers to grow and consumers to eat traditional foods diets.

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