food insecurity - The African Mirror

Sep

10

2024

Experts: Change in tariffs will see Africa feed itself

NEWS

AFRICAN leaders and experts have begun hosting solutions-oriented meetings to address gaping holes in agricultural produce import and export agriculture regulations, with prohibitive intra-Africa trade tariffs for trading in basic agricultural products an easy first target. “The largest and the highest tariffs that we impose against one another as Africans is on agricultural products. And yet, we are importing over US $100 billion worth of food from other parts of the world,” Wamkele, African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat Secretary General, told the Africa Food Systems Summit 2024, held in Kigali in early September. Areas experiencing food insecurity abound on…

Jul

01

2024

By TSHILIDZI MARWALA

AI can transform global food security and climate action

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

TSHILIDZI Marwala is the Rector of the United Nations University and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations. Like all sustainable development challenges, achieving food security is a complex objective intertwined with the environment, economics, peace and security, and technology. But, alarmingly, since 2020 global food insecurity has doubled to over 300 million people. This dramatic decline of food security, a fundamental human right, demands urgent intervention to ensure its four dimensions - availability, access, utilization and stability - do not crumble under the weight of intensifying pressure from climate change. As weather patterns become increasingly disrupted, so too are lives and livelihoods throughout the…

Apr

19

2024

By HELEN ONYEAKA

How to end hunger in sub-Saharan Africa: fight inequality, gender imbalances and climate change

SPECIAL FEATURES: ANALYSIS

A greater part of Africa’s population can’t afford a healthy diet than any other regional population. Food insecurity in sub-Saharan Africa is caused by climate change, high levels of poverty, rapid population growth, low economic growth, inadequate infrastructure and conflicts. Women are the backbone of agricultural labour in the region. The problems of limited access to land, water and technology faced by these women also worsen food insecurity. People have a right to food – to produce food, to be free from hunger, and to participate in policy decisions that affect food systems. The right to food is also recognised…

Sep

23

2023

By RODRIGO CAMPOS

Food insecurity in Africa should be overcome in 5 years -AfDB head

NEWS

PROGRAMS supported by the African Development Bank (AfDB) in over 30 African countries have helped produce some $12 billion worth of food, and the bank’s $25 billion objective is "well on track," AfDB President Akinwumi Adesina said on Friday. "As far as I'm concerned, we shouldn't be talking about food security in Africa more than five years from now. There's no reason for it," he told Reuters. "We have the technology and the financing to do it at scale." Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, one of the world's top grain exporters, sent tremors through global grain markets, threatening food…

Jun

15

2023

By The African Mirror

Nigeria needs to take climate action: 4 urgent steps to start with

ENVIRONMENT

CLIMATE change is not just a buzzword or a topic for political debates. It is a real and pressing issue that affects every aspect of our lives. The effects of climate change are already being felt worldwide, from rising sea levels to heatwaves, droughts, floods, loss of biodiversity, food insecurity and more. Author OLASUNKANMI HABEEB OKUNOLA, Visiting Scientist at the United Nations University – Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS), United Nations University In Nigeria, climate change has contributed to the country’s mounting economic and social challenges. The country has acknowledged the need to move to a low-carbon future.…

Mar

18

2023

By The African Mirror

Blinken announces $150 mln in new aid for Sahel

NEWS

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced $150 million in new humanitarian assistance for Africa's Sahel region, saying it would provide life-saving support to refugees and others impacted by conflict and food insecurity. Making the announcement during a visit to Niger, Blinken said the aid would address needs in Niger, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali and Mauritania. The package also included funding to support Sahelian refugees in Libya and Niger, he said. Thomson Reuters Foundation

Jan

27

2023

By The African Mirror

Africa needs to learn to feed itself, says Senegal president

NEWS

BATE FELIX AFRICA must produce more food instead of relying on imports and aid, Senegalese President Macky Sall told leaders gathered in the West African nation's capital for a summit. The continent is facing its worst food crisis ever, with more than one in five Africans – a record 278 million people – facing hunger, according to United Nations estimates. Heavy debt burdens from the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine which raised prices of fuel, grain and edible oils and diverted aid have added to long-term causes of food insecurity such as climate change and conflict, experts say. "Africa…

Dec

29

2020

By The African Mirror

How climate change could lead to a hunger pandemic

MULTIMEDIA

CORMAC O'BRIEN FOOD insecurity is reaching an all-time high. The growing climate crisis could force an extra 183 million people into hunger by 2050, so how do we ensure a worldwide food shortage doesn't become the next global pandemic? https://youtu.be/ZCiRzSgo3A0

Mar

12

2021

By The African Mirror

How Cabo Verde indigenous beans could boost food security

SCIENCE, TECH AND INNOVATION

WITH just over half a million inhabitants, Cabo Verde is heavily dependent on food imports. It spent $65 million importing food products in 2018. ANYSE SOFIA FERNANDES PEREIRA ESSOH, PhD Student Tropical Knowledge and Management at Nova SBE (specializes in genetics and agrobiotechnology), Nova School of Business and Economics This dependence on food imports puts the country in a vulnerable situation when it comes to food security. According to Food and Agricultural Organisation, Cabo Verde has not yet eradicated hunger, with about 5.3% of its population suffering from food insecurity. There are other challenges too. Cabo Verde is located in…

Sep

26

2020

By The African Mirror

Changing our behaviour to improve food security

HUMAN RIGHTS

JULIAN MAY DESPITE South Africa's food secure status at national level and the evidence that the country produces more food than it needs, there is a worrying degree of food insecurity at household level. The 2017 Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) report "Towards measuring the extent of food security in South Africa: An examination of hunger and food inadequacy" reveals that 20% of households did not have access to adequate food during the period studied. The perturbing reality at this juncture is that the situation has been exacerbated by COVID-19 and the lockdown, and we are therefore more likely to…