The UNESCO-MOST BRIDGES Coalition is proud to announce the formal recognition of Ancestral Nutrition for Future Resilience, as an outstanding initiative in humanities-anchored, transdisciplinary sustainability science.
BRIDGES Recognition Programme: The Mission in Practice
The Recognition Programme was established to advance the BRIDGES mission: encouraging transdisciplinary research that is inclusive of the humanities and co-produced with communities.
The BRIDGES recognised initiatives exemplify our mission to foster transdisciplinary, humanities-inclusive solutions, offering innovative approaches to building socio-ecological resilience in real-world contexts where transformation is most critical.
Each project demonstrates that we cannot solve sustainability issues without understanding the social and cultural contexts that drive them.
UNESCO-MOST BRIDGES recognition follows a rigorous evaluative process assessing alignment with UNESCO-MOST BRIDGES’ principles and UNESCO’s sustainability science approach, with particular emphasis on transdisciplinary, socially responsible, ethical and transformative practice.
Influencing Global Policy
BRIDGES recognition provides a mechanism for these initiatives to inform international policy. By highlighting these projects as exemplary models, the actionable knowledge they generate will:
This initiative, rooted in the Héritages programme at Cergy Université, addresses food insecurity and ecological degradation in the Sahel, focusing specifically on the Kanem region of Chad. Its mission is to safeguard the ancestral practice of harvesting natural spirulina, known locally as dié, by Kanembu women. Harvesting spirulina is a traditional activity endangered by climate change and socio-environmental pressures.
A Heritage Under Pressure
In the arid landscapes of the Sahel, the ouadis, seasonal wetlands, serve as vital lifelines. For generations, the Kanembu women of Chad have harvested a natural blue-green algae known locally as dié (spirulina) from these waters. This practice is both a survival strategy and a profound expression of intangible cultural heritage, carrying deep ecological wisdom and providing a potent nutritional source.
However, this ancestral legacy is under threat. Climate change and unsustainable land use threaten the delicate balance of the ouadis. As these ecosystems degrade, the traditional knowledge associated with dié risks being lost, exacerbating malnutrition in a region already vulnerable to food instability.
Humanities at the Core
Recognised for its adherence to transformative sustainability, the initiative places the Kanembu women’s traditional ecological knowledge at the centre of its research. Through ethnographic inquiry, oral histories, and participatory workshops, the project documents the rituals and techniques surrounding the harvest. This approach ensures that the "human factor", the cultural identity and agency of the harvesters, is the foundation of the scientific intervention.
Looking Ahead
Ancestral Nutrition for Future Resilience offers a model for how sustainability science can be both ethically grounded and practically effective, demonstrating the value of intangible cultural heritage. Future milestones include the formal submission of dié harvesting for the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage listing, further cementing the global recognition of the Kanembu women’s contribution to sustainable food systems.
The work of Ancestral Nutrition for Future Resilience strengthens the global UNESCO-MOST BRIDGES network and contributes meaningfully to transformative, humanities-anchored community-led initiatives.
Global Collaboration
While deeply rooted in the soil of Chad, the initiative draws strength from a global network. The initiative collaborates with a growing community of partners, including the Centre National de Recherche pour le Développement (CNRD), the National Food Security Program (PNDSSA), the Centre de Contrôle de Qualité des Denrées Alimentaires (CECOQDA), academic faculties from the University of N'Djamena, and McGill University’s Centre for Indigenous Peoples' Nutrition and Environment (CINE).
Transdisciplinary Innovation
The project bridges the gap between local practice and global science through a transdisciplinary approach. By integrating anthropology, ecology, and nutrition, the initiative is driving:
The choice of a co-designed, participatory approach ensures the relevance, legitimacy, and sustainability of these outcomes while respecting cultural specificity.
BRIDGES recognises the importance of championing transdisciplinary initiatives that address complex, multi-faceted societal challenges in innovative ways to stimulate transformative change for the benefit of societies, people and planet.
A criteria of the BRIDGES Recognition Programme is the initiative addresses specific global, regional or local challenges encompassed by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Ancestral Nutrition for Future Resilience, serves as an exemplary case of how bridging diverse knowledge bases can provide innovative solutions to the SDG’s, attending to:
SDG2: Zero Hunger
Nutrition & Food Security: This initiative combats chronic and acute malnutrition in the Sahel by transforming natural spirulina (dié) into a local Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF). This provides a sustainable, high-protein food source tailored for vulnerable populations.
SDG3: Good Health and Well-being
Community Health: By providing nutrient-dense spirulina-based products, the initiative directly improves community health outcomes, specifically targeting malnutrition in children within the region.
Ancestral practice of harvesting natural spirulina: Preservation and transmission of this cultural knowledge serves as a foundation for innovation in sustainable food systems and ecological restoration, improving the health and well-being outcomes of current and future generations.
SDG5: Gender Equality
Empowering Women: The project centres on Kanembu women, recognising them not just as beneficiaries, but as the primary "knowledge holders" researchers. It empowers them by formalising their traditional roles and improving their economic livelihoods through the spirulina value chain.
SDG11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
Protecting Cultural and Natural Heritage: This initiative works to safeguard the "intangible cultural heritage" of spirulina harvesting, ensuring this ancestral practice isn't lost to modernisation or climate change; Building a foundation for resilient, self-sufficient, and environmentally conscious communities.
SDG15: Life on Land
Ecosystem Restoration: The project focuses on the restoration of ouadis (seasonal wetlands). By combining traditional ecological knowledge with conservation science, it reverses land degradation and protects the specific biodiversity required for spirulina to grow.
SDG17: Partnerships for the Goals
Transdisciplinary Collaboration: This initiative exemplifies this goal by creating a transdisciplinary bridge between local harvesters; national institutions (CNRD, CECOQDA); the National Food Security Programme; and international academic networks (Faculties from the University of N'Djamena, and McGill University's Centre for Indigenous Peoples' Nutrition and Environment.)
