A market shop in Africa, view of the outside stacked with neatly organized fruits and vegetables. One person stands within the doorway, facing away from the viewer.

Tufts Researchers Launch Data Analytics Initiative to Strengthen African Food Markets

Tufts researchers and Euromonitor International partner to use data analytics to drive growth for food enterprises across Africa

Researchers from the Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, in partnership with Euromonitor International, have launched the Data Analytics for Food Markets in Africa (DAFMA) initiative—convening food enterprises throughout Africa to develop cutting-edge data analytics tools and techniques that generate market insights and support data-driven decision-making. The project is funded by the Gates Foundation.

DAFMA aims to help food enterprises grow by meeting consumer needs for more affordable, healthy diets delivered through more resilient supply chains across Africa.​ By leveraging large-scale, newly available data and developing open-source analytics tools tailored to the needs of African food enterprises, the consortium aims to strengthen the continent’s food market infrastructure and support long-term, sustainable business growth. Euromonitor’s lead consultant on the project, Grant Budding, said: “We are excited to collaborate on this ambitious project. Our collective expertise will help unlock valuable insights from disparate data sources, enabling food enterprises to better collaborate and make more informed decisions about product attributes, sourcing, and pricing in the region.”

DAFMA officially launched in November 2025 with a virtual event that introduced the consortium and allowed prospective members to discuss their priorities for future analysis. Now open to enterprises in Africa and abroad, the DAFMA consortium has already attracted over 90 members from 13 countries. Consortium members will begin networking, sharing insights, accessing market intelligence, and supporting the development of new software tools in 2026.

Professor William Masters of the Friedman School highlighted the importance of the collaboration:

“I feel fortunate to be collaborating with so many innovative businesses, creating an exceptional opportunity to help companies succeed in expanding sales of the nutrient-rich foods needed for healthy diets across Africa.”

The initiative underscores the Friedman School’s role as a global leader in shaping sustainable food systems and advancing data-driven solutions that improve nutrition and transform food markets worldwide.

For more information about the DAFMA project or to join the consortium, visit sites.tufts.edu/dafma or email dafma@tufts.edu.

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