Reversing Years for Global Food Security: A Review of the Food Security Situation in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)

Abstract

All around the world, inequalities persist in the complex web of social, economic, and ecological factors that mediate food security outcomes at different human and institutional scales. There have been rapid and continuous improvements in agricultural productivity and better food security in many regions of the world during the past 50 years due to an expansion in crop area, irrigation, and supportive policy and institutional initiatives. However, in Sub-Saharan Africa, the situation is inverted. Statistics show that food insecurity has risen since 2015 in Sub-Saharan African countries, and the situation has worsened owing to the Ukraine conflict and the ongoing implications of the COVID-19 threat. This review looks into multidimensional challenges to achieving the SDG2 goal of “End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture” in Sub-Saharan Africa and the prosper policy recommendations for action. Findings indicate that weak economic growth, gender inequality, high inflation, low crop productivity, low investment in irrigated agriculture and research, climate change, high population growth, poor policy frameworks, weak infrastructural development, and corruption are the major hurdles in the sustaining food security in Sub-Saharan Africa. Promoting investments in agricultural infrastructure and extension services together with implementing policies targeted at enhancing the households’ purchasing power, especially those in rural regions, appear to be essential drivers for improving both food availability and food access.

Beyond hunger: Unveiling the rights to food in sub‐Saharan Africa

“…There are many challenges that contribute to food insecurity in SSA, including, but not limited to, high levels of poverty, rapid population growth, low economic growth, inadequate infrastructure, climate change and conflicts. (Baptista et al, 2022;Hall, Dawson, et al, 2017;Hall, Scoones, et al, 2017;Marx et al, 2013;Prosekov & Ivanova, 2018;Songwe & Awiti, 2021;Wudil et al, 2022). Additionally, because women are the main contributors to agricultural labor in SSA, the problems of limited access to land, water and technology faced by these women also worsen the issue of food insecurity in the region (Agarwal, 2018).…”

“…Inadequate storage, transportation, and processing facilities can result in food waste, leading to food unavailability (FAO, 2017). A study by Wudil et al (2022), found that the biggest problems relating to sustainable food security in SSA include but are not limited to gender inequality, high inflation, low crop productivity, low investment in irrigated agriculture and research, poor policy frameworks, weak infrastructural development, and corruption.…”

Pancreatic Cancer in Celiac Disease Patients—A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…Varying exposure to risk factors may explain these differences between regions [ 17 , 18 ]. However, the lowest prevalence in Africa may be due to the effects of malnutrition and starvation on that continent, where people die of hunger before exposure resulting in PC [ 19 , 20 ]. PC is more common in men than in women.…”

Development and Validation of Nutrition and Food Safety Educational Material for Fish Processors in Nigeria

“…Malnutrition, food insecurity, and poverty remain persistent public health concerns in sub-Saharan African countries [ 18 ]. Aquaculture and fisheries have been identified as indigenous resources with the potential to provide a solution to these problems because they serve as a wellspring of animal-based proteins and a source of income for many people [ 19 , 20 ], including marginalized women and youths that are culturally deprived of employment, higher pay, and education.…”