Beyond Silos : Strengthening Nexus Collaboration to Power Food Systems with Off-Grid Solar

The efficiency, sustainability, and productivity of food systems are deeply intertwined with energy use.The agricultural sector accounts for 30% of global energy consumption and requires power for food production, storage, transportation and processing. However, in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), agriculture consumes significantly less energy than the global average. This limits opportunities for value addition, increases food waste due to inadequate storage and processing facilities, and contributes to low agricultural yields.This white paper explores the nexus between food systems, infrastructure and energy provided by off-grid solar (OGS) systems and how greater collaboration between the food system (i.e., agriculture and nutrition), water and energy sectors can enhance positive impacts and reduce negative effects. It is designed to help stakeholders working to improve food systems to better understand the potential of employing ‘nexus’ approaches within their initiatives that allow for the consideration and inclusion of energy inputs via off-grid solar solutions.This paper was co-authored by a consortium of partners across the food systems and energy sectors, with support from the IKEA Foundation.