Bühler tackles food security challenges in Africa

With Africa’s rapidly growing population, ensuring food security has become a critical mission for Bühler, a leading provider of engineering solutions. The company’s primary focus is on improving access to staple foods such as grain, ensuring these essential resources are safe and readily available.

Bühler sees food security as a shared responsibility, stressing the importance of safety and accessibility in every aspect of food production that involves its equipment.

“Currently, Africa loses around 40% of its raw materials owing to mishandling or improper storage,” notes Bühler MD Marco Sutter.

He highlights that one of the key contributors to food insecurity in the region is the heavy reliance on imported grains, particularly wheat and rice. However, many countries in Africa lack the technology and expertise to process these grains into consumable products.

This challenge is compounded by the need to upskill workers and ensure that food production meets required safety and quality standards.

To address these issues, Bühler inaugurated the Grain Processing Innovation Centre in Kano, Nigeria, in July 2024. This facility processes local and ancient grains such as sorghum and millet, which are vital for improving food security in the region.

Launched in partnership with Nigerian food processing companies such as Flour Mills of Nigeria, Olam Agri and many others, the centre leverages the advantages of local grain varieties.

These grains are not only better suited to local climates but also play a crucial role in increasing the availability of nutritious food.

Bühler’s Application Centre Network in Africa, including the African Milling School (AMS) in Nairobi, Kenya, and the Cocoa Competence Centre in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, play a crucial role in the company’s efforts to support food security and drive innovation in food processing across the continent.

The AMS is a significant hub for capacity- building and education within the food processing industry, specifically in grain milling.

The AMS was established to address the skills gap in the milling industry in Africa, where there is a critical need for trained professionals to operate and maintain milling equipment and systems that support local food production.

Bühler invests up to 5% of its yearly turnover into research and development, driving improvements in the commercial and sustainable performance of its products and solutions, especially as a technology partner to the food, feed, and mobility sectors.

Bühler is also committed to developing a pathway to achieve a 60% reduction in greenhouse-gas emissions in its own operations by 2030.

Further, it intends to have solutions that are “ready to multiply” by 2025 that reduce energy, waste and water by 50% in the value chains of its customers. It proactively collaborates with suppliers to reduce climate impacts throughout the value chain.

Sutter describes this as having “an immense impact” on clients, particularly by lowering emissions and conserving water resources.

“Water scarcity is a growing global concern, and Bühler’s innovations have helped customers save significant amounts of water while keeping operational costs down,” he adds.

The company is also adopting more energy-efficient practices, responding to rising energy costs by installing solar panels at its offices in Johannesburg and Cape Town, further demonstrating its commitment to sustainable solutions.