Food Crisis Worsens in Africa: Time for Agricultural Revolution
The number of people affected by hunger in Africa is alarming and continues to worsen. The United Nations report “The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World” reveals that Africa is the most food-insecure region in the world. The prevalence of undernourishment is 20.4% (about 298.4 million Africans), more than double the global average. This figure has been increasing since 2015.
Climate change and conflict are making the problem worse. But the problem goes deeper: it lies in the strategies used since the post-colonial era to produce food and combat malnutrition. Although food insecurity rates vary across the continent, and are worst in Central and West Africa, it is nonetheless a region-wide challenge.