Collective Action Forgotten Foods

Overall purpose 

To build awareness and popularize Forgotten Foods, influencing investments and policy.  

The Collective Action on Forgotten Foods represents one of the most impactful and forward-looking partnerships under GFAR (now GFAiR)—reviving neglected and underutilized crops (NUS) to transform food systems, improve nutrition, and empower marginalized communities. Its story spans over two decades, beginning with the early recognition of "forgotten foods" as a global agri-innovation frontier. 

 

forgotten_foods

Origins 

The term “forgotten foods” began gaining traction in 1999–2000, when GFAR convened dialogues on rethinking agricultural innovation to serve smallholders, especially in marginal environments. At the GFAR2000 Global Conference in Dresden, neglected and underutilized species (NUS) were formally acknowledged as a global priority for research and innovation. These species—locally adapted, nutrient-dense, and often resilient to climate stress—had long been marginalized by mainstream agricultural R&D. GFAR partnered with actors like Bioversity International and the CGIAR NGO Committee to elevate the status of NUS in policy, research, and funding agendas. 

Rising Momentum: From Advocacy to Collective Action 

Through the 2000s and 2010s, GFAR supported global awareness-raising on the role of forgotten foods in combating hunger, biodiversity loss, and the erosion of traditional knowledge. These efforts laid the groundwork for the formal establishment of the Collective Action on Forgotten Foods, launched as part of GFAR’s restructured Collective Action mechanism in the late 2010s. For 2025-2026 the collective action is led by Foodbridge. 

Key milestones include 

manifesto_ff

 

  • Formation of a multi-stakeholder partnership, including farmer organizations, public research institutes, NGOs, UN agencies, private sector, and youth; 

  • A 2021–2022 global dialogue series on forgotten foods, led by GFAR and partners, identifying barriers and opportunities across regions; 

  • In this process, thousands of actors from many countries took part in research activities, data analysis, presentations and discussions, deliberations and debates, and in the drafting of three regional manifestos on forgotten foods 

  • Country-level engagement, such as support to India’s Odisha Millet Mission and integration of forgotten foods in school feeding, biodiversity policy, and climate resilience programs. 

  • A Paradigm Shift in Food Innovation 

Objectives 

  • Restoring indigenous food systems, valuing women's and communities’ knowledge; 

  • Stimulating demand and markets for climate-resilient local crops; 

  • Rebalancing agri-research priorities toward diversity, equity, and sustainability; 

  • Driving policy shifts at national and global levels. 

Activities  

  1. Multi-stakeholder write-shops (Ghana, Nigeria) to co-develop proposals linking forgotten foods with women’s health, youth, climate resilience, and digital innovation. 

  1. Diaspora market engagement through African diaspora food market studies in London (and planned in Paris), identifying demand drivers and niche opportunities. 

  1. Digital innovation pilots via the GAMAAL App, connecting women cooks and farmers with diaspora and urban consumers. To be tested in Kumasi (Ghana) and Abuja (Nigeria)depending on funding. 

  1. Awareness campaigns including culinary demonstrations, storytelling, cultural tourism events (e.g., African Diaspora Food Forum), and side-events at major international conferences (Biodiversity Conference Kunming, UNFSS+4 Addis Ababa). 

  1. Youth-focused pilots such as school gardens in Nigeria to integrate forgotten foods into nutrition, climate-smart practices, and waste reduction education. 

  1. Policy engagement pilots through proposals (e.g., Pivotal Ventures, One Planet Network, INCiTiS-FOOD) advocacy at FAO, FfD4 (Sevilla), and UNFSS: Alliance for Local Food and Nutrition Supply Chains in Africa (Alliance Africa). 

  1. Community of Practice (CoP) building via FARA and GFAiR, now with 650+ members, to foster exchange on research, policy, and practice for forgotten foods. 

  1. Diaspora entrepreneur engagement linking food SMEs and diaspora chefs to promote heritage foods in premium urban and international markets (e.g., Compendium 2024 African Diaspora Agrofood Entrepreneurs) 

Collaborators 

  • The Food Bridge (Belgium) - Implementing Partner 

  • M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (India) 

  • University of Ghana (Ghana) 

  • Youth Slow Food Movement Nigeria 

  • SD FARMS, Abuja, Nigeria 

  • Federal University of Technology Owerri, Imo State Nigeria 

  • University of Ibadan, University of Ghana 

  • Ensign University Ghana 

  • Nassarawa State University Nigeria 

  • Sustainable Development Farms Abuja Nigeria 

  • York St John University United Kingdom 

  • Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT Asia Hub, Common Microbial Biotechnology 

  • Platform (CMBP) - Agricultural Genetics Institute, Hanoi, Vietnam 

  • JB Akin Owen Consulting Limited Adamasigba complex, Sabo Mokola Ibadan, Oyo state Nigeria 

  • Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) 

  • African Nutrition Society, Federation of African Nutrition Societies (ANS) 

  • California State University (CSU) 

  • Interdisciplinary Historical Food Studies - FOST (Free University of Brussels - VUB) 

  • Movement for Community-led Development (a global network of grassroot actors- 
    Mcld.org) 

Progress  

  • Building on three regional consortia (M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation—India; University of Ghana; The Food Bridge—Belgium) and a growing Community of Practice (CoP) now counting 650+ members, the action convened cross-regional partners spanning Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Caribbean. The central objective of the Africa Community of Practice (CoP) on forgotten and underutilized food commodities is to foster the reintegration of forgotten food commodities into the mainstream food systems in Africa countries through research, knowledge generation and dissemination, technology development, advocacy for policy development and fostering investment. 

  • Two multi-stakeholder proposal write-shops (University of Ghana—January; IITA Ibadan—February) catalyzed collaboration and resulted in 14 submissions across nutrition, biodiversity, climate resilience, youth engagement, and women’s health. In parallel, the team undertook market research in London (April) and Paris (August) to map diaspora demand, value chains, and retail channels for African heritage foods; a follow-on scoping in France was prepared for late August. These efforts set the foundation for diaspora-linked supply chains and for demand creation through chefs, SMEs, and cultural events. 

  • The action amplified awareness and policy engagement by participating in high-level fora (Africa Nutrition Week – Cape Coast Ghana, International Agrobiodiversity Congress—Kunming side event, FAO Conference session on crop diversity, and UN Financing for Development—FfD4 in Sevilla). Targeted advocacy emphasized integrating forgotten foods into school feeding and public health programming, with a concise policy brief on the role of private sector investment in scaling nutrition-oriented innovations.  

  • Garden lunch on FORGOTTEN FOODS (FF) (September 2025) for Alliance Bioversity and CIAT staff of Rome. Prepared by Chef Jumah Alhassan Ghanaian Chef trained in Belgium. 

  • A webinar on Neglected and Underutilized Crops (October 2025) brought together NUS experts to share the latest research findings and identify strategies to advance NUS research and policymaking.  

  • Alliance Africa. GFAiR partnered at the 2nd UN Food Systems Summit Stocktake (UNFSS+4) (July 2025) with the Alliance for Local Food and Nutrition Supply Chains in Africa (Alliance Africa) during the UNFSS+4 to link the Forgotten Foods agenda to resilient local food and nutrition supply and value chains. 

  • Digital innovation: early collaboration on the GAMAAL app explored use cases for recipe sharing, demand signaling, and light-touch nutrition tracking 

  • A social media campaign on forgotten foods was initiated (August 2025) on Facebook.  It has currently 3,300 followers and it promotes diet quality, women’s economic agency, youth skills, and biodiversity mainstreaming—while positioning diaspora markets as a near-term engine for demand and farmer income. 

  • Market study: (a) Field visit in Ibadan’s Bodija Market (February 2025), (b) Afro-Caribbean Market Research in London (April 2025). It mapped the UK African food market, identifying strong demand potential among diaspora consumers. There were 1,355 respondents for the survey; (c) Afro-Caribbean Market Research in Paris (August 2025). The aim of the African Diaspora Food Market in France and the UK included the identification of key trends, gaps, opportunities and innovations, to draw comparisons with the UK market and other diaspora food markets, to strengthen networks with agrifood entrepreneurs, retailers, and food advocates and to evaluate findings and develop actionable next steps. 

  • Market place: the 9th African Diaspora Agrofood Forum (ADAF25, October 2025) spotlighted African diaspora women’s entrepreneurship in agrifood systems. Panel discussions centred on how diaspora networks translate know-how, capital and market links into concrete opportunities for women-led agrifood ventures, with sessions and workshops on entrepreneurship support, investment readiness, market access, and policy engagement.  

  • Youth engagement: the Collective Action on FF organised a Call for Projects: Forgotten Foods Youth Challenge 2025 - Reconnecting Africa’s Youth with Indigenous Food Heritage. This pilot in Nigerian and Ghanaian served as a proof of concept, generating measurable results to attract further investment and upscaling across Africa. 4 winners were selected in October. 

  • From Elders to Youths: Preserving Igbo Food Heritage in Imo State, Eastern Heartland, Nigeria submitted by Youth Group of the Network For Agriculture and Food Research and Development (NAgriFoRD), School of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology (SAAT), Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO).  

  • “Aboboe” Revival: A School Farm for Nutrition, Skills, and Indigenous Crop Heritage”- Ghana submitted by Emmanuella Akumtu Caesar, student of environment and Public health  at the University of Environment and Sustainable Development Ghana.  

  • Reviving Akortormor Purple Beans: A Forgotten Indigenous Local Food of the Krobo Ethnic Group submitted by Joel Teye Community Food Heritage Advocate/ CommunityC Health Volunteer Obenyemi Community of Yilo Krobo District of Ghana 

Postings 

GFAIR website 

Forgotten Foods: A GFAR/GFAiR Collective Action Success Story 

Forgotten food and the UK diaspora of African origin 

London's African culinary scene 

The UK Afro-Caribbean grocery market: Ade's Foods' 

Cooking the Food of Nigeria

PAEPARD blog 

14 February 2025. Field visit Forgotten Foods  

17 February 2025. Roots and Plates : A Story of Afro Food in Belgium 

14 March 2025. Investing in innovative solutions for nutrition-sensitive agriculture 

26 - 30 April 2025. Field visit Forgotten Foods Consortium 

26 - 30 April 2025. London's African culinary scene 

28 April 2025. The UK Afro-Caribbean grocery market: Ade's Foods' 

5 May 2025. Kenya is transforming bean research 
Kenya is taking bold steps to transform its bean research landscape through renewed collaboration, innovation, and capacity building. At the heart of this transformation is a growing partnership between the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) and the Pan-Africa Bean Research Alliance (PABRA), under the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT. 

7 May 2025. FAO high-level event on Agrifood Systems transformation, sharing reflections on the role of African diaspora CSOs 

“Currently we are helping coordinate the GFAIR collective action on forgotten foods and this may not have been possible, if we did not get recognized and supported along the way by development organizations, sponsors and organizations.” 

8 May 2025. Indigenous and Neglected Crops: A Gateway to Sustainable Tourism and Growth in Africa and the Caribbean  

Organized by AgriLuxe Marketing, in partnership with the University of the West Indies (UWI), the University of Johannesburg, and the Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN) 

30 June – 3 July 2025. Seville, Spain. FfD4 (4) Game Changers: Role of Remittances & Diaspora Contributions 

Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4). GFAiR's Forgotten Food Consortium was represented by Maureen Duru of Foodbridge. She spoke on the contributions of diasporas as agrofood entrepreneurs, custodians of the African food heritage and development actors. She gave examples of different projects led by diasporas innovating the African food and also as consumers,  how the diaspora has been supporting the African indigenous food systems through what it eats. 

18 July 2025.  Brussels. Transmitting African food traditions in Europe 

Foodbridge officially celebrated the launch of Vyakulani Africa II, the second phase of their grassroots “Vyakulani” initiative.  

23 July 2025. Nigeria Launches ‘Power of Diversity’ Project to Promote Neglected Crops 
In a major stride toward food security and climate resilience, Nigeria inaugurated the Power of Diversity Funding Facility (PDFF)—a five-year, multi-stakeholder agricultural initiative aimed at promoting neglected yet valuable “opportunity crops” across the nation. 
27–29 July 2025. Alliance for Local Food and Nutrition Supply Chains in Africa (Alliance Africa) 
The Global Forum for Agricultural research and Innovation (GFAiR) partnered at the 2nd UN Food Systems Summit Stocktake (UNFSS+4) with the Alliance for Local Food and Nutrition Supply Chains in Africa (Alliance Africa) during the UNFSS+4 to support African countries in their policy priorities and actions to strengthen/establish efficient and effective resilient local food and nutrition supply and value chains. 
30 July 2025. How nutrition-sensitive are agri-food value chains? 
The Nutrition Research Facility (NRF) organised a webinar exploring the contribution of agri-food value chains in achieving nutrition impacts. 
30 July 2025. The Society for Underutilized Legumes (SUL) organised its 26th Academic Lecture Series with theme: Enhancing Bambara Groundnut Production Through Improved Agronomic Practices 
4-7 August 2025. A weeklong meeting was held on orphan crops in higher education 
This meeting for accelerated climate change solutions in Africa (ORPHAN) was organized under the European Union supported Intra-Africa mobility for high skilled scientists and entrepreneurs 
13 August 2025. Presentation of the report: The State of Investments in Fruit & Vegetables + Addressing Postharvest Losses and Building Value Chains 

19-20 August 2025. National Stakeholder Consultation on Opportunity Crops in India, under the Power of Diversity Funding Facility (PDFF) 

MSSRF and Crop Trust brought together farmers, researchers, government and international agencies for a crucial conversation about India's opportunity crops (millets, pulses, tubers, etc.) and why they're essential for a nutrition-secure future.26 - 27 August 2025. Forgotten foods and the France based diaspora of African origin 

Field visit Forgotten Foods Consortium, supported by the Global Forum on Agricultural Research and Innovation (GFAiR). 

9  September 2025. Bonn. Opportunity Crops: A BOLDER Approach to Food Security 

17 September 2025. Fruit and vegetable (F&V) research and development investments across nine countries 

Colorful Revolution Webinar Series. This webinar series built on a recent global study examining fruit and vegetable (F&V) research and development investments across nine countries. 

15 October 2025. Webinar on Neglected and Underutilized Crops 

This webinar brought together NUS experts to share the latest research findings and identify strategies to advance NUS research and policymaking. 

22 October 2025. Brussels Bridging Continents through Innovation: Africa–Europe Innovation Dialogues 

During the PANEL 4: Diaspora's contribution to innovation at the Africa-Europe interface, Maureen Duru (The Food Bridge) highlighted how diaspora-led food initiatives foster innovation in agri-food systems, linking cultural food heritage with business development, nutrition awareness, and sustainable value chains across both continents 

24–25 October 2025. Brussels 9th African Diaspora Agrofood Forum (ADAF25) 

The organiser, The Food Bridge vzw,  with support from GFAiR’s Collective Action on Forgotten Foods, framed the Forum around policy advocacy, visibility for women-led businesses, and partnerships aligned with the Beijing+30 momentum; FAO also joined, underscoring gender equality and the strategic role of diaspora communities. 

Resources 

  • 18 Proposal dossier for the targeted funding opportunities  

  • Foodbridge (2025) 2025 Compendium of African Diaspora Agrofood Entrepreneurs 41 pp. - the 2025 Compendium of African Diaspora Agrofood Entrepreneurs, published by The Food Bridge vzw with support from Soliris.be and GFAiR’s Collective Action on Forgotten Foods, celebrates twelve outstanding diaspora-led agrifood enterprises that blend cultural heritage, innovation, and sustainability across Africa, Europe, and the Caribbean.

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