Circular Regenerative Agricultural Practices in Africa: Techniques and Their Potential for Soil Restoration and Sustainable Food Production

Abstract

The conventional linear system of global food production and consumption is unsustainable as it is responsible for a substantial share of greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity declines due land use change, agricultural water stress due resource-intensive water consumption patterns and land degradation. During the last decade (1994–2014), for example, the greenhouse emissions from agriculture in Africa were reported to increase at an average annual rate of between 2.9% and 3.1%, equivalent to 0.44 Gt and 0.54 Gt CO2 per annum, respectively. Between 2000 and 2020, the greenhouse gas emissions from agrifood systems were shown to decrease in all major regions of the world, except in Africa and Asia, where they grew by 35 and 20 percent, respectively. With most of the circular agricultural practices still central to food production in the developing African countries, the continent can spearhead a global return to circular agriculture. Using a descriptive review approach, we explore the literature to examine the extent to which African agriculture is deploying these practices, the potential areas for improvement and lessons for the world in embracing sustainable food production. We underscore that the farming communities in sub-Saharan Africa have, for decades, been using some of the most effective circular agricultural principles and practices in agricultural production. We further show that practices and strategies akin to sustainable agricultural production include agronomic practices, smart irrigation options, renewable energy harvesting and waste-to-fertilizer technologies. All of these technologies, which are central to sustainable agricultural production, are not new to Africa, although they may require packaging and advocacy to reach a wider community in sub-Saharan Africa.