NutriShed: a novel methodological framework for nutrition security planning in urban communities

Introduction: As urbanization accelerates globally, towns and cities face increasing challenges in ensuring nutrition security for rapidly growing populations within complex and evolving local food systems. In low- and middle-income countries, urban food systems are often characterized by fragmented value chains, extensive geospatial flows of food, and a high degree of informality. These complexities are further exacerbated by climate change and infrastructural constraints, limiting the capacity of urban planners to effectively design nutrition-sensitive interventions. Despite this, there remains a lack of robust methodological tools to guide nutrition security planning in such contexts.

Methods: This paper presents the NutriShed Framework, a novel methodological approach developed through the NutriShed study in Ghana to map the origins, flows, and vulnerabilities of key micronutrients within urban food systems. The framework is illustrated through its application in two Ghanaian settings, Takoradi and Asesewa. Building on the foodsheds concept, the NutriShed Framework integrates dietary assessment, market system analysis, and geospatial techniques to track nutrient flows into, within, and out of urban areas. The approach is implemented through five stages: (i) identification of nutrient gaps among vulnerable population groups using dietary surveys; (ii) quantification of nutrient flows through assessments of markets, traders, and transport systems; (iii) spatial mapping of nutrient flows alongside food system infrastructure, climate risks, and production patterns; (iv) analysis of vulnerabilities in nutrient flows in relation to infrastructure and environmental factors; and (v) identification of nutrition-sensitive interventions using Geographic Information Systems to strengthen nutrient supply and food system resilience.

Results: The detailed empirical findings generated from the application of the framework are reported in separate companion papers.

Conclusion: The NutriShed Framework provides a systematic and scalable tool for understanding and addressing nutrition security within complex urban food systems. By integrating stakeholder engagement throughout the process, it offers practical pathways for informing policy, planning, and investment to enhance resilient and nutrition-sensitive urban food systems.