Food Insecurity in Africa: Drivers and Solutions

Abstract

This paper explores how climate change, violent conflict, the Covid-19 pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis combine to drive rapidly increasing levels of food insecurity. These drivers play out differently across and within regions and countries, and this paper focuses on how a combination of the drivers plays out on the African continent. It looks at four subregions—North Africa, the Horn of Africa, the Sahel, and Central and Southern Africa—and several countries within these regions. Africa is the continent with the highest proportion of people—just over 20 per cent— facing hunger. Africa also carries the heaviest burden from the impact of climate change. In 2021 18 countries in sub-Saharan Africa experienced armed conflicts. The economic fallout of climate change, conflict and the Covid-19 pandemic has widened inequality and sharpened societal divisions. Addressing the impacts of these compounding crises and breaking the vicious cycle of climate change, food insecurity and conflict requires a concerted effort by local, national, regional and global humanitarian, development and peacebuilding actors, governments and donors. To this end, the paper concludes with nine recommendations on the way forward.

High manifestations of food insecurity and hunger among pregnant and lactating women during post-conflict in Tigray, Ethiopia: a community-based study

“…There is a close connection between violent conflict and food insecurity [3]. Food insecurity is a common consequence of conflict, and food insecurity and related social tensions are linked to a higher risk of conflict outbreaks [4].…”

Is household food insecurity associated with social attitudes accepting of physical intimate partner violence against women in Nigeria? A population-level cross-sectional study

“…18 19 Although FI remains a pervasive public health crisis globally, this problem is particularly acute in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), perhaps as a result of climate change, violent conflicts and very recently, the COVID-19 pandemic. 20 According to a recent report by the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (UN FAO), at least two out of three (67.2%) individuals experienced moderate or severe FI in 2022, with 26.6% being severely food insecure. 19 Evidence suggests that gender disparities persist in experiences of FI, with women disproportionately affected by both IPV and FI.…”