The baobab tree (Adansonia digitata L.) is a vital resource across sub-Saharan Africa’s arid regions, celebrated primarily for its highly nutritious fruits. Beyond direct nutritional benefits, baobab contributes to food security and income generation, increasingly recognized with the acceptance of baobab fruit pulp as a novel food ingredient in the US and Europe. Local African markets also show a rising demand for baobab products, presenting economic opportunities for producers continent-wide. However, in Eastern Africa, particularly in Kenya and Sudan, the potential of baobab trees to enhance local nutrition and livelihoods remains largely untapped. The BAOFOOD project, funded by BMEL, aims to address this gap from 2016 to 2019. It focuses on promoting baobab domestication, market development, processing, and consumption to improve food security, nutrition, and rural livelihoods in these regions. Key challenges such as inconsistent quality of plant materials, lack of cultivation technologies, and underdeveloped market chains are being tackled comprehensively across the baobab value chain. Research efforts span the geographical range and phenological variations of baobab species, emphasizing conservation alongside sustainable cultivation practices. Nutritional analyses of baobab fruits and leaves are underway to understand their impact on local food supplies and economies. Targeted market analyses in Kenya and Sudan aim to identify demand for new baobab-based products, which will be locally produced based on market preferences. Ultimately, the project seeks to harness baobab’s full potential as a natural resource for sustainable development in Africa.