Africa’s progress towards food security

Food insecurity has been a persistent challenge in parts of Africa. From FAO’s perspective, how serious is the situation currently? 

The situation we wish to see is Zero Hunger. We want to ensure that every man, every woman, and every child is able to have a decent meal every day—food in sufficient quantity and of the quality they desire. But this is not the situation in the continent currently. Africa continues to absorb one of the highest shares of global food aid.

In East Africa, drought has affected millions of people in recent years. What is the current situation in the region?

East Africa is facing a challenging situation, especially with drought. The region already consumes about 20% of global food aid due to repeated droughts that affect populations that are already vulnerable.

About 50 million people are affected, with the most impacted countries being Somalia (most severely affected), Ethiopia (especially southern and eastern regions), Kenya (northern and eastern counties), South Sudan, , and Sudan. We need early warning systems to be able to curb this challenge. 

There have been successive droughts devastating crops and livestock in the Horn of Africa. Have you made any progress in recovery?

There has been some progress in Ethiopia with long-term investments averaging more than 10.3% and growth in both production and productivity has been impressive but with some slight setbacks. In Kenya, investment in irrigation and climate smart agriculture is emerging as key.

However, when you combine climate change, drought and insecurity, they all conspire to make a bad situation worse. The area has good seasons and weather, so if stability is achieved, a lot of these problems can be resolved. 

What are the major food security challenges facing the West African region?

With climate change, rising food prices and other pressures coming together, there is a lot of movement of people, which triggers conflict within the region. Conflict is a major driver of food insecurity in this region, with armed groups such as Boko Haram contributing to displacement.

Most displaced people are not able to farm or they are displaced at critical agricultural times. In some areas where there is only one season, if people are displaced during planting time, then they end up in a very dire situation.

The Sahel countries are also vulnerable. Any small shock can easily push the food security situation in the wrong direction.