Pathways to African food security: challenges, threats and opportunities towards 2050

The role of African immigrant informal traders in enabling food security for families throughout Africa has been explored in the literature. However, little has been published on the relationship between African immigrant traders, food security, and xenophobia in the City of Johannesburg, South Africa. A lack of information combined with negative attitudes among researchers and policymakers has led many to undervalue African immigrant informal traders, often dismissed as peripheral to the food economy and food security in Johannesburg. Therefore, in this article, I analyse the role of African immigrant informal traders in making food accessible and affordable for customers despite constant harassment arising from xenophobia.

Africa’s Development Corridors as Pathways to Agricultural Development, Regional Economic Integration and Food Security in Africa

Various South African government reports list food security as a development priority. Despite this prioritisation and despite the fact that South Africa is currently food self-sufficient, ongoing food shortages remain a daily reality for approximately 35 percent of the South African population. The government's commitment to food security to date of writing this contribution manifests in related policies, strategies, programmes and sectoral legislation with the focus on food production, distribution, safety and assistance. A paradigm shift in the international food security debate was encouraged during 2009, namely to base food security initiatives on the right to sufficient food. During a 2011 visit to South Africa, the Special Rapporteur for the Right to Food of the United Nations, accordingly confirmed that a human rightsbased approach to food security is necessary in the South African legal and policy framework in order to address the huge disparities in terms of food security (especially concerning geography, gender and race). A human rights-based approach to food security will add dimensions of dignity, transparency, accountability, participation and empowerment to food security initiatives. The achievement of food security is further seen as the realisation of existing rights, notably the right of access to sufficient food. The right of access to sufficient food, as entrenched in section 27(1)(b) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 will accordingly play a central role within a human rights-based approach to food security. Section 27(2) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 qualifies section 27(1)(b) by requiring the state to take reasonable legislative and other measures, within its available resources, to achieve the progressive realisation of each of the section 27(1) rights. The South African government's commitment to food security, as already mentioned, currently manifests in related policies, strategies and programmes, which initiatives will qualify as other measures as referred to in section 27(2) mentioned above. This contribution, however, aims to elucidate the constitutional duty to take reasonable legislative measures as required by section 27(2) within the wider context of food security. This contribution is more specifically confined to the ways in which a human rights-based approach to food security can be accommodated in a proposed framework law as a national legislative measures. Several underlying and foundational themes are addressed in this contribution, amongst others: (a) the relationship between food security and the right of access to sufficient food; (b) food security as a developmental goal; and (c) the increasing trend to apply a human rights-based approach to development initiatives in general, but also to food security.KEYWORDS: food security; the right to have access to sufficient food; framework legislation; human rights-based approach; development.

Various South African government reports list food security as a development priority. Despite this prioritisation and despite the fact that South Africa is currently food self-sufficient, ongoing food shortages remain a daily reality for approximately 35 percent of the South African population. The government's commitment to food security to date of writing this contribution manifests in related policies, strategies, programmes and sectoral legislation with the focus on food production, distribution, safety and assistance. A paradigm shift in the international food security debate was encouraged during 2009, namely to base food security initiatives on the right to sufficient food. During a 2011 visit to South Africa, the Special Rapporteur for the Right to Food of the United Nations, accordingly confirmed that a human rights-based approach to food security is necessary in the South African legal and policy framework in order to address the huge disparities in terms of food security (especially concerning geography, gender and race). A human rights-based approach to food security will add dimensions of dignity, transparency, accountability, participation and empowerment to food security initiatives. The achievement of food security is further seen as the realisation of existing rights, notably the right of access to sufficient food. The right of access to sufficient food, as entrenched in section 27(1)(b) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 will accordingly play a central role within a human rights-based approach to food security. Section 27(2) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 qualifies section 27(1)(b) by requiring the state to take reasonable legislative and other measures, within its available resources, to achieve the progressive realisation of each of the section 27(1) rights. The South African government's commitment to food security, as already mentioned, currently manifests in related policies, strategies and programmes, which initiatives will qualify as other measures as referred to in section 27(2) mentioned above. This contribution, however, aims to elucidate the constitutional duty to take reasonable legislative measures as required by section 27(2) within the wider context of food security. This contribution is more specifically confined to the ways in which a human rights-based approach to food security can be accommodated in a proposed framework law as a national legislative measures. Several underlying and foundational themes are addressed in this contribution, amongst others: (a) the relationship between food security and the right of access to sufficient food; (b) food security as a developmental goal; and (c) the increasing trend to apply a human rights-based approach to development initiatives in general, but also to food security.

Land is a limited resource that must be used efficiently if a country is to achieve sustainable food security. In support of this, policies should be developed that promote the optimal use of land, water and fertilizers, as these elements are essential for maximizing agricultural production, which in turn improves food security within the constraints imposed by resource scarcity and climate change. The challenges posed by climate change emphasize the need for efficient use of all limited resources, especially land to achieve optimal agricultural performance and food security. In this study, a comprehensive national food and nutrition security survey was conducted to assess the status of household food security in South Africa. The survey collected data from all nine provinces of the country, focusing on indicators such as household access to land and the utilization of available land for food production. The findings highlighted the implications of the dual system of land rights governing households' access to land in South Africa. The unequal distribution of land access results in most households not using their own land for food production. Consequently, the land that households are deemed to "own" is predominantly used for residential purposes, leading to inefficient agricultural land use, which eventually affects household food security. As a result, many households face challenges affording food, with the diets of most families particularly those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds becoming less nutrient-rich. Additionally, the cost of nutrients, especially for rural households, has escalated. To address this, South Africa must educate households on the importance and advantages of efficient use of available land and encourage them to produce their own food. It is also vital to motivate youth to engage in agricultural production and to support them using targeted investments.

More than half of the world’s population relies on wheat, maize, and rice for their daily dietary energy. In 2019, the daily per person average calorie intake was 2,963 kilocalories (kcal), in which the share was more than 18.2% (538 kcal) for wheat, 5.4% (159 kcal) for maize, and 18.3% (542 kcal) for rice. It is projected that by 2050, the total global population is expected to reach between 8.9 and 10.6 billion from 7.8 billion in 2020. Thus, it will be imperative to produce more wheat, maize, and rice to ensure the food security of the world’s burgeoning population. While it is imperative to produce more food, the emergence and re-emergence of lethal crop diseases and their spread from the epicenters to new regions continuously threaten crop yield, farmers’ income, and the world’s food security. For example, the emergence of maize lethal necrosis (MLN) in Africa has generated a credible threat to global and African food security. This study quantified MLN-induced maize production loss in Kenya, DR Congo, and Tanzania. Applying the time-series projection method, this study estimates that the loss in maize production due to MLN was 442 thousand tons in Kenya, nearly 12 thousand tons in DR Congo, and 663 thousand tons in Tanzania. As more pest- and disease-related crop losses are expected due to the changes in global climate, this study concludes by suggesting that it is imperative to invest more in research and development of disease-resistant crop varieties globally to ensure food and nutrition security, particularly in the global south.

The literature on urban agriculture (UA) as a food security and poverty alleviation strategy is bifurcating into two distinct positions. The first is that UA is a viable and effective pro-poor development strategy, and the second is that UA has demonstrated limited positive outcomes on either food security or poverty. These two positions are tested against data generated by the African Urban Food Security Network’s (AFSUN) baseline food security survey undertaken in 11 Southern African cities. At the aggregate level, the analysis shows that (1) urban context is an important predictor of rates of household engagement in UA—the economic, political, and historical circumstances and conditions of a city are key factors that either promote or hinder UA activity and scale; (2) UA is not an effective household food security strategy for poor urban households—the analysis found few significant relationships between UA participation and food security; and (3) household levels of earnings and land holdings may mediate UA impacts on food security—wealthier households derive greater net food security benefits from UA than poor households do. These findings call into question the potential benefits of UA as a broad urban development strategy and lend support to the position that UA has limited poverty alleviation benefits under current modes of practice and regulation.

The literature on Urban Agriculture (UA) as a food security and poverty alleviation strategy is bifurcating into two distinct positions. The first is that UA is a viable and effective pro-poor development strategy; the second is that UA has demonstrated limited positive outcomes on either food security or poverty. These two positions are tested against data generated by the African Urban Food Security Network’s (AFSUN) baseline food security survey undertaken in 11 Southern African cities. At the aggregate level the analysis shows that (1) urban context is an important predictor of rates of household engagement in UA—the economic, political and historical circumstances and conditions of a city are key factors that either promote or hinder UA activity and scale; (2) UA is not an effective household food security strategy for poor urban households—the analysis found few significant relationships between UA participation and food security; and (3) household levels of earnings and land holdings may mediate UA impacts on food security—wealthier households derive greater net food security benefits from UA than do poor households. These findings call into question the potential benefits of UA as a broad urban development strategy and lend support to the position that UA has limited poverty alleviation benefits under current modes of practice and regulation.

The objective of this study is to synthesize and describe the evidence relating to food security among African Canadian communities to inform future research and health policy concerning people of African descent. Food security denotes the timely access to nutritionally and culturally appropriate foods by individuals, families, groups, and communities. In Canada, there are vulnerable groups who experience higher rates of food insecurity, including immigrant and senior populations as well as Indigenous communities. While there is evidence describing food security among these vulnerable groups, food security among African Canadian communities remains poorly understood. The African Canadian community is an integral component of the Canadian population, yet there is a limited understanding of food security among this group. This review will focus on the African Canadian population and food security, which encompasses food access, nutrition, and culturally appropriate foods. Evidence obtained from qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods studies, as well as dissertations and gray literature will be considered for inclusion. This scoping review will be conducted in accordance the JBI scoping review methodology. A comprehensive search strategy developed by a librarian scientist will be used to locate and retrieve relevant sources. A screening tool will be used to screen titles and abstracts as well as the full text of included sources. Data will then be extracted by two independent reviewers, synthesized, and presented narratively, including tables and figures where appropriate.

COVID-19 impact on agriculture and food security in Africa. A systematic review and meta-analysis

Despite receiving international technical assistance over many years, achieving food and nutrition security has remained elusive for many developing countries. Low technological capability, inefficient production systems, increasing populations and lately climate variability, affect food production, leading to stagnation or modest gains in food and nutrition security in many nations. For many African countries, food and nutrition security continues to improve, despite the slow pace. In the East African Community, political stability, ambitious economic planning, the quest for higher agricultural productivity, improving educational achievement, sanitation and health, are contributing to improving food and nutrition security. To support the process, Rwanda, established Vision 2020, while Burundi and South Sudan have yet to develop plans for a coherent development blueprint. The blue prints of the Member States bore Vision 2050 for the East African Community and Vision 2063 for the African Union. This chapter examines the status of food and nutrition security in Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan. It gives country-specific recommendations for achieving it-including investment in agriculture and agribusiness, value addition of agricultural commodities, decelerating population growth, using adaptive research to solve farmer-problems, strengthening farmer-organizations and integrating variables that influence food and nutrition security achievement.

Achieving food and nutrition security remains a tall order for developing countries. The FAO, IFPRI, WFP, UNICEF and other international bodies continue to provide active support in order to achieve global food and nutrition security. However, low technological capability, inefficient production, insignificant economic growth, increasing populations and lately climate variability, affect food production, leading to either stagnation or modest gains in food and nutrition security in different regions of the World. For African countries, food and nutrition security continues to improve, albeit at a slow pace, although the recent breakout of COVID-19 is bound to lead to a decline in food production, in the short and mid-term. In the East African Community, political stability, ambitious economic planning, the quest for higher agricultural productivity, improving educational achievement, improving sanitation and health, are contributing to the improving food and nutrition security. To hasten the process, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania embraced Vision 2030, Vision 2040 and Vision 2025, respectively. These grand, socio-economic plans bore Vision 2050 in the East African Community and Vision 2063 for the African Union. This chapter examines food and nutrition security in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, and provides country-specific recommendations for achieving it. These include investing in agriculture, decelerating population growth, using adaptive research to solve farmer-problems, strengthening farmer-organizations and the formation of cooperatives.

There is a vast dietary diversity in Africa with a population of about one and a half billion, the second-largest continent in the world, with the largest number of countries (fifty-five), and many of the countries made up of a large number of tribes and ethnic groups, over three hundred in the case of Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation. Food and culture are inextricable in Africa and cultural influences on the diets of Africans are reflected in the dietary diversity. African traditional foods and food processing techniques have been in existence since ancient times and are part of the rich cultural heritage of the people. An important feature of traditional and ethnic diets in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), which are predominantly plant-based, is the hundreds of lesser-known, underutilized indigenous crops and wild food plants that are part of Africa’s rich biodiversity. Though largely neglected by the mainstream of international science, they contribute to food and nutrition security particularly in the rural areas on account of their availability, affordability, and superior traits. They are more adapted to harsh growing conditions than conventional crops of international trade introduced to Africa from other parts of the world and may contain higher levels of essential nutrients such as vitamins and minerals. African traditional food processing techniques are useful skills that date back to ancient times, acquired over centuries and passed on from parent to child over generations. They represent a vital body of indigenous knowledge that is the bedrock of small-scale food processing in Africa. Some of this indigenous knowledge has undoubtedly been lost over the years due to lack of documentation. The major drawbacks of African traditional food processing techniques, carried out mainly by women, are the drudgeries associated with the slow, time-consuming, manual operations; their unhygienic nature; and the lack of standardization resulting in products that are variable in quality and often poor. Africa bears the highest burden of foodborne illnesses with debilitating effects on health, productivity, and development. There are safety and public health concerns with some African traditional foods and beverages that are associated with foodborne illnesses due to bacteria, viruses, parasites, naturally occurring toxicants, and chemical contamination. Improved management practices, extension activities, and value addition will promote the cultivation and utilization of neglected lesser-known, underutilized indigenous crops. Redevelopment of African traditional foods that are currently produced largely in the home and informal sector will promote their industrial production and enhance their quality, safety, and contribution to food and nutrition security.

The people, culture and natural resources of the African continent are very diverse and complex, with enormous potential, but there are approximately 200 million people in Africa who are chronically hungry.African challenge to achieve food security will compel to improve resource productivity, to ensure sustainable livelihoods for the population with equitable access to social, economic and natural resources.In this respect, the African agricultural research and development organizations built a coalition that created the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA).FARA's mission is "to enhance and add value to the effectiveness and efficiency of agricultural research systems in Africa in order to contribute to agricultural development and economic growth and sustainable use of natural resource".The regional initiatives developed by FARA (Framework for African Productivity -FAAP; Sub-Saharan Africa Challenge Programme -SSA CP; Building African Scientific and Institutional Capacity -BASIC; Regional Agricultural Information and Learning Systems -RAILS and the African Biotechnology and Biosafety Initiative -ABBI) will contribute to strengthen the links between health, nutrition and food security in Africa.Food production should emphasize on increase not only in food quantity, but also in the quality of nutritional intake.This will be achieved through increased awareness of food nutritional value, enhancement of nutritional contents through research, training on basic health tips, and awareness of inputs specifics such as fertilizers or pesticides.The objective is to get agricultural interventions to include nutritional value and education.Policies and programs should not look only at food production for its economic gain but should also put emphasis on food security and people's health.

This book presents contemporary case studies of land use, management practices, and innovation in Africa with a view to exploring how multifunctional land uses can alleviate food insecurity and poverty. Food security and livelihoods in Africa face multiple challenges in the form of feeding a growing population on declining land areas under the impacts of climate change. The overall question is what kind of farming systems can provide resilient livelihoods? This volume presents a selection of existing farming systems that demonstrate how more efficient use of land and natural resources, labour and other inputs can have positive effects on household food security and livelihoods. It examines how aquaculture, integrated water management, peri-urban farming systems, climate-smart agriculture practices and parkland agroforestry contribute multiple benefits. Drawing on case studies from Kenya, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Burkina Faso, contributed by young African scientists, this book provides a unique perspective on multifunctional land use in Africa and illustrates how non-conventional uses can be profitable while promoting social and environmental sustainability. Tapping into the global discussion on land scarcity and linking food security to existing land use change processes, this volume will stimulate readers looking for diversified land uses that are compatible with both household and national food security ambitions. This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of African development, agriculture, food security, land use and environmental management, as well as sustainable development more generally, in addition to policymakers and practitioners working in these areas.