Food Security: Sustainable Food Production in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Falling world grain stocks, rising grain prices and the poor economic situation of Africa have, since 1995, made food security a major issue. Structural adjustment programmes, the crushing burden of debt, the collapse of commodity prices and mismanagement of national economies have rendered African people even poorer in terms of per capita income and quality of life than they were in the first decade after the attainment of independence. Yet Africa is rich in many ways — for example, in virgin land for agriculture and in mineral resources, including energy. It is rich above all in its people and their determined spirit to face all disasters, natural and man-made. In line with this spirit, Africa is moving ahead on a new consensus that food security through enhanced agricultural production is the continent's most fundamental development issue. Although the economic plans of successive African governments have stressed the goal of food self-sufficiency, the food sector has received little investment or political priority. Africa continues to rely on food aid and food imports, which consume a large part of its meagre export earnings. The increasingly limited capacity to purchase food abroad and the bitter experience of depending on emergency aid are honing a clear determination that Africa must marshal the resources to grow its own food and so release the creative energies of its people to contribute fully to their own development and well-being. Top priority should be given to food security during this process, as no country can consider itself free until it has the wherewithal to provide for the basic needs of its people.

Soils and food sufficiency. A review

“…Traditional agricultural practices in SSA have been addressed in relation to soil degradation (Choker and Odemerho, 1994), soil nutrients and SOM depletion (Stromgaard, 1991;Dakora and Keya, 1997;Sanchez and Leakey, 1997;Nye and Greenland, 1958), soil pests (Hillocks et al, 1996), pest management (Abate et al, 2000), and plant defense mechanisms (van der Westhuizen, 2004). Among commonly promoted strategies for achieving food security in SSA are: cooperative regionalism (Ugwuanyi and Obinne, 1998), drought management (Hubbard et al, 1992), improvement of roots and tuberous crops such as cassava (Manihoc esculenta) (Prudencio and Alhassan, 1994), use of indigenous knowledge (Oniang'o et al, 2004), integrated food systems (Hulse, 2004), macroeconomic and public policy (Rukuni, 2002), structural adjustment programs (Amalu, 2002), multiple livelihood strategies of women farmers using micro-enterprises (Gladwin et al, 2001), political economy of urban population (Sutherland et al, 1999), incomegenerating employment (Duncan, 1998;McCalla, 1999) and policy framework (van Rooyen and Sigwele, 1998).…”

Historical trends of food self-sufficiency in Africa

“…Very few studies have considered the historical trends of the balance between food production and demand (Amalu 2002;Devereux 2009;de Graaff et al 2011) and its effect on historical trends in self-sufficiency. However, a better understanding of such historical trends is necessary to characterize more effectively the development of a region's ability to be self-sufficient and the potential problems it may face.…”

Soils and Food Sufficiency: A Review

“…Traditional agricultural practices in SSA have been addressed in relation to soil degradation (Choker and Odemerho, 1994), soil nutrients and SOM depletion (Stromgaard, 1991;Dakora and Keya, 1997;Sanchez and Leakey, 1997;Nye and Greenland, 1958), soil pests (Hillocks et al, 1996), pest management (Abate et al, 2000), and plant defense mechanisms (van der Westhuizen, 2004). Among commonly promoted strategies for achieving food security in SSA are: cooperative regionalism (Ugwuanyi andObinne, 1998), drought management (Hubbard et al, 1992), improvement of roots and tuberous crops such as cassava (Manihoc esculenta) (Prudencio and Alhassan, 1994), use of indigenous knowledge (Oniang'o et al, 2004), integrated food systems (Hulse, 2004), macroeconomic and public policy (Rukuni, 2002), structural adjustment programs (Amalu, 2002), multiple livelihood strategies of women farmers using micro-enterprises (Gladwin et al, 2001), political economy of urban population (Sutherland et al, 1999), incomegenerating employment (Duncan, 1998;McCalla, 1999) and policy framework (van Rooyen and Sigwele, 1998).…”