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C-Real - Cereal for change

C-Real is an award-winning project that tackles chronic child malnutrition and supports sustainable rural livelihoods in northern Ghana through locally driven innovation, research and partnership. 

Child malnutrition remains a profound development challenge in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa. In northern Ghana, limited access to nutritious food contributes to poor health, impaired cognitive development, and reduced educational outcomes for schoolchildren. In response, the C-Real project brought together experts from the University of York School for Business and Society, the University for Development Studies (UDS) in Ghana, and Tropical Agrifoods Ltd., a local, social enterprise, to co-create a sustainable and nutritious solution. 

The project was initiated by an African Agrifood Knowledge Transfer Partnership (AAKTP) funded by Innovate UK (2021-2023). The collaboration developed C-Real, a fortified blended meal (cereal) made from locally sourced maize, rice and soy, enriched with 18 essential vitamins and minerals. Today, the partners are working to scale production capacity to enhance the project's reach and impact in other regions of Ghana as well as in West African countries facing similar challenges.

C-Real has also been recognised with two prestigious Innovate UK awards in 2024: Best African Agriculture Knowledge Transfer Partnership and Changing the World. 

Our aims

The C-Real project seeks to:

  • Combat child malnutrition by providing a nutritious, affordable and culturally acceptable cereal product. 
  • Promote sustainable agriculture through regenerative agroforestry and local supply chains. 
  • Create shared economic value by supporting local farmers, especially women, with steady income and employment opportunities. 
  • Strengthen local capacity in food production, processing and nutrition education. 

Impact and outcomes

The project has already seen several impactful outcomes. So far, we have; 

  • Designed a branded, fortified cereal product: Through a meticulous Research and Development process, C-Real was developed with cutting-edge nutrition knowledge and locally available grains to address dietary deficiencies
  • Optimised supply chains: Sourcing ingredients locally has boosted farmer incomes and supported sustainable farming practices. 
  • Engaged communities: The project worked closely with schools, health clinics and families to introduce and encourage adoption of the cereal. 
  • Built capacity: Local production and distribution have created jobs—particularly for women—and strengthened small-scale enterprises. 
  • Improved nutrition: C-Real has been distributed through health clinics for malnourished children and local shops, providing vital nutrients to children in deprived areas. The parents of malnourished children fed with C-Real reported energy and weight gain over a 6-month period. 
  • Economic empowerment: Regenerative agriculture practices and local processing have increased yields and incomes for farmers. 
  • Jobs creation: The project has generated sustainable employment, particularly for 57 women, in cereal processing and distribution. 
  • Policy engagement: Insights from the project have informed discussions with Ghanaian government stakeholders and international partners on scaling nutritional innovations. The project has been funded with an additional 100,000 USD from the Research Innovation Systems in Africa scheme, which was used to build a factory to increase production of C-Real.

Our team and partners

Resources and publications