Strengthening agro-food systems

Abdelmonem Fawzi

One can run away from fighting, but one cannot do the same with hunger.

This is the alarming hunger situation in Africa. This situation can intensify in the coming months.

The food crisis affects the whole continent, from Mauritania and Burkina Faso in the west, to Somalia and Ethiopia in the east.

An estimated 346 million people in Africa are affected by the food crisis, according to recent reports by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation and the African Union (AU).

The problem is that an estimated 1.5 million farm animals had perished, and the remaining animals have become emaciated and weak.

Crop production is between 58 per cent and 70 per cent below average across the continent.

Malnutrition rates are also rising against the background of a deteriorating purchasing power and limited access to a healthy diet and healthcare.

These high malnutrition rates are clearly manifest in Kenya and the Central African Republic.

“This is a disaster going largely unnoticed,” said Dominik Stillhart, the head of operations at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). “Millions of families are going hungry and children are dying because of malnutrition.”

Approximately 10.5 million people are facing malnutrition in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Mauritania.

Over 1.2 million people are projected to be in stage four of the food insecurity index during the upcoming lean season (the period between harvests).

Some of the countries worst affected by the current food insecurity crisis are those most reliant on wheat imports from Russia and Ukraine, including Somalia (over 90 per cent dependent), the Democratic Republic of Congo (over 80 per cent dependent) and Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Sudan (all between 20 and 45 per cent dependent).

According to Zakaria Maiga, ICRC’s food insecurity crisis advisor and former operations coordinator for the Sahel, food insecurity is not new as an issue.

The intensity of the situation, he said, is the different thing this time.

He added that this intensity is driven by the rapid pace of climate change and numerous complexities that had not been seen in the past.

Patrick Youssef, the ICRC’s regional director for Africa, agreed with Maiga.

“Every year, we communicate and respond, but this year is something different,” he said. “We have not seen these difficult situations which face our peoples and the AU.”

The AU has adopted ‘Strengthening Resilience in Nutrition and Food Security on the African continent: Strengthening Agro-Food Systems, Health and Social Protection Systems for the Acceleration of Human, Social and Economic Capital Development’ as its theme for 2022.

This theme contributes to the achievement of Aspiration no. 1 of Agenda 2063, which envisions a prosperous Africa based on inclusive growth and sustainable development. A key goal of the theme is also ensuring good health and nourishment for the citizens of the continent.

Aspiration no. 1 of Agenda 2063 has commonalities with Sustainable Development Goal no. 2, namely ending hunger and malnutrition by 2030. This will be done by increasing agricultural productivity and ensuring sustainable food production systems.

In line with the AU’s theme, this year’s Africa Dialogue Series’ theme is: ‘Build Resilience in Nutrition: Accelerate Africa’s Human Capital and Socio-Economic Development’.

To address these challenges, the Africa Dialogue Series international webinar was held recently on ‘Human Capital Development, Climate, Energy and Food Systems ‘.

In her welcome remarks, Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser on Africa, Cristina Duarte, said the Africa Dialogue Series, held during the Africa Month, is a platform for African voices on the world stage.

“The food crisis in Africa has been amplified to some extent by external factors, such as Covid-19 and the Russia and Ukraine war, exacerbated by climate change,” Duarte said. “Therefore, collective action under mutual accountability is needed.”

She added that Africa should adopt a ‘from within’ approach to address challenges.

“Moreover, Africa does not start from scratch,” Duarte said. “We have our Malabo commitments and Agenda 2063.”

Nardos Bekele-Thomas, CEO of the African Union Development Agency-NEPAD, talked about the urgency to drive change that will enable communities to realise zero hunger for their populations by 2025.

“AUDA-NEPAD places emphasis on the urgent need for policy and investment choices that will transform local capacities and build resilient and inclusive food systems,” Bekele-Thomas said.

At the regional and continental level, she said, the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) – Malabo Declaration, Agenda 2063 and other sector plans in climate change, healthcare and education, should remain the frameworks within which food security and nutrition are pursued.

Ambassador Fatima Kyari Mohammed, permanent observer of the AU to the UN, said during the Africa Dialogue Series, the AU succeeded in offering some solutions towards building resilience in nutrition and food systems.

“A call to action at the highest level has been achieved, for us all to act collectively to accelerate the implementation of our development goals,” Mohammed said. “Africa is determined to transform its agricultural potential to impact the livelihoods of its populations across the board and address hunger and malnutrition.”

She added that the need is clear for all stakeholders to work through the African Union Development Agency-NEPAD’s CAADP framework.

However, it remains to be said that we need to be very serious about our sustainable humanitarian impact ambitions.

We also need to mobilise actors to address the root causes of food insecurity, and not just the wounds.