By: Saidu Jalloh
The Food System Resilience Programme–Sierra Leone (FSRP-SL), in collaboration with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and key national institutions, has successfully trained a new cohort of enumerators for a landmark survey. This survey aims to map processed, packaged, and vendor-prepared foods across the country.
Through IITA’s technical assistance to the Sierra Leone Agricultural Research Institute (SLARI), and in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MAFS), the Ministry of Trade, and Njala University, FSRP-SL recently concluded a three-day intensive training session for enumerators in Freetown.
The trainees, drawn from the Institute of Food Technology, Nutrition, and Consumer Studies at Njala University’s School of Agriculture and Food Science, expressed excitement about what many considered a “career-defining opportunity.” They praised the initiative for giving them the chance to contribute to a national research project that will transform nutrition planning and food system policies in Sierra Leone.
Facilitators introduced the enumerators to data collection techniques, survey ethics, and the classification of processed and packaged foods. Practical exercises included field visits to supermarkets in Freetown, where enumerators documented imported processed and packaged food products.
This survey is part of a broader effort to create Sierra Leone’s first comprehensive Food Composition and Micronutrient Database. Once completed, the database will become a critical resource for policy formulation, nutrition interventions, and public health strategies, advancing food security and dietary diversity nationwide.