African Food Crisis

This next post is ultimately going to talk about and address the African food crisis. Although Africa is home to a diverse range of agricultural systems and resources, there are many African countries who are continuing to struggle with key issues like food insecurity, malnutrition and poverty, hence affecting millions across the continent. 

So, let's talk about one of the main contributing factors to the African food crisis. This is the lack of access to food sources that are affordable, diverse and nutritious (Burch, Fans and Frison 2011). In many rural places, there are instances where smallholder farmers often lack the resources and the infrastructure that is required to produce and sell crops, hence leading to a reliance on imported or processed foods, which is more expensive and less nutritious (Dzvimbo, Monga and Mashizha, 2017). This lack of access to healthy food options can result in malnutrition, particularly for the more vulnerable members of society, namely women, children and the elderly (Bain et al., 2013). 

Naturally, with some many issues as a cause of this, climate change is also playing a significant role in the African food crisis. Extreme weather events like drought and floods are becoming more frequent and more severe, which is leading to crop failures and reduced productivity from an agricultural standpoint (Less, Rowhani and Ramankutty, 2016). This doesn't only have devastating impacts for food security but it also leads to an exacerbation in poverty, whereby many smallholder farmers rely on their crops as being a primary source of income (Poole, Chitundu and Msoni, 2013). 

One specific example of the impact that the African food crisis is having, is the ongoing famine in Ethiopia. This country has been hit very hard by a combination of drought, economic challenges and conflict, hence resulting in there being severe food shortages and malnutrition (OCHA, 2022). In 2020, the United Nations officially declared Ethiopia as a state of emergency with millions of people in need of food assistance (United Nations, 2022).

Another key example of the food crisis is in South Sudan. Here, there is ongoing conflict and economic instability has led to extreme hunger and malnutrition. The country has one of the highest rates of malnutrition in the world and more than half of the total population is facing food insecurity (OCHA, 2022). This is conveyed in figure 1. 

Figure 1 - Illustrates Food Insecurity and Malnutrition in South Sudan - Source

I believe that in order to address the African food crisis, it is essential to adopt a comprehensive and long - term approach that focuses on both the root causes as well as the immediate needs of the communities that are affected. This could be through investing in infrastructure and implementing a plan for smallholder farmers in relation to financial markets and resources. Furthermore, there needs to be investment in sustainable agricultural practices (as seen for example in figure 2) that can adapt to the challenges we face with climate change. 

                                            Figure 2 - Sustainable Agricultural Practice - Source

Overall, the African food crisis is one that is complex and multifaceted, and it requires urgent action from governments, international organisations and society as a whole. If we can all work together, it is possible for us to address the immediate needs of those affected by food insecurity and help us build a more resilient and sustainable food system for our future. 

The next blog post is looking at the Sahelian Paradox. There are various key factors that contribute to the food crisis in the Sahel region, namely population growth, climate change and political instability.