In 2022, global food systems have been characterized by overlapping crises that have significant implications for current and future generations in terms of human development, mitigation of climate change, conservation of biodiversity, and economic progress.
In Africa, the challenges of the past few years— including the ongoing impacts of the Russian-Ukraine conflict, the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain disruptions, conflict, and global environmental change are reversing decades of progress and exacerbating food insecurity and malnutrition.
The need to stay within 1.5 degrees has never been more critical, and along with it, the need to transform our food system. For Africa, accelerating the transformation of our food systems is more vital than ever.
The stakes are extremely high. We have eight harvests until 2030—the deadline for meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and preventing irreversible damage from climate change.
Suppose Africa does not transform its food systems towards greater sustainability and resilience and improved ability to achieve zero hunger and provide good nutrition for all. In that case, the continent is unlikely to achieve many of the goals of the 2030 Agenda, which is aimed at ensuring better livelihoods, inclusion, and prosperity of people.
Moreover, food crises will likely lead to political instability and conflict, resulting in a vicious cycle. The Russia-Ukraine crisis has worsened; already-strained global supply chains and economies.
Africa has a few other incentives for transforming its food system; with one of the most degraded agricultural soils in the world and increasing droughts, Africa will face significant water-related climate risks in the future.
90% of Sub-Saharan Africa’s (SSA’s) rural population depends on agriculture as its primary source of income. More than 95 per cent of agriculture relies on rainfall. The consequences of unpredictable rainfall, rising temperatures, extreme drought, and low soil carbon will further lower crop yields, exposing Africa’s poorest communities to increasingly intense climate- and water-related hazards with disastrous results.
The current food crisis has exposed major fault lines in Africa’s food system, especially the role of global supply chains for major food commodities and fertilizers. Now, more than ever, it is critical that African leaders raise the profile of food system reform on the continental and global development agenda.
The Africa Agriculture Status Report (AASR) 2021 highlighted the importance of building sustainable and resilient food systems in Africa. This year’s AASR 2022 provides evidence and insights on the prospects of accelerating the transformation of Africa’s food systems toward resilience and sustainability anchored in the 2021 United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS).
AASR22 highlights several megatrends that governments, donors, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and the private sector must proactively anticipate and respond to. These demographic, economic, environmental, and social megatrends shape Africa’s food systems. With an emphasis on a holistic approach to transforming food systems, the 2022 Report highlights the critical roles of leadership and coordination, mobilizing investments, capacity, and capabilities.
The Report puts forward recommendations for immediate actions and steps that African governments, Pan-African organizations, development partners, the private sector, and civil society must take to accelerate the transformation of food systems, preserve and increase the welfare of current and future generations as well as the health of our planet.
We need to chat about a path to greater resilience, which presents the biggest opportunity for transforming its food systems with a clear continental vision in the Africa Common Position.