First Lady of Niger becomes Smart Food Ambassador

Dr Lalla Malika Issoufou (left), First Lady of Niger, receiving the Smart Food Ambassador plaque from Dr Peter Carberry, Director General, ICRISAT. Photo credit: ICRISAT.

Dr Lalla Malika Issoufou, First Lady of Niger, was named as Smart Food Ambassador for her vision and leadership in nutrition and the promotion of traditional food crops such as millet. Dr Peter Carberry, Director General, ICRISAT, presented the plaque of recognition during the launch of the International Millet Festival (FESTIMIL) in Niamey, Niger, on 21 February.

The Smart Food initiative is all about food that is ‘Smart’- good for you (healthy), good for the planet (sustainable) and good for the farmer. The vision of Smart Food initiative is to diversify staples by bringing Smart Foods like millets back as a major part of diets across Africa and Asia.

The initiative is led by the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF), the Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN), the Asia-Pacific Association of Agricultural Research Institutions (APAARI) and ICRISAT.