Food Security In Africa Research Articles

Potential Forage Hybrid Markets for Enhancing Sustainability and Food Security in East Africa.

The cattle sector is strategic for both the economic development and food security of Africa, but the low availability and quality of forage puts the most vulnerable population at risk. Hybrid forages are an alternative for enhancing both food security and sustainability of the sector but adoption levels are still low in Africa, which is related to various factors such as the availability of seeds. This document analyzes potential markets for new interspecific hybrids of Urochloa and potential hybrids of Megathyrsus maximus, adapted to the environmental conditions of eastern and partially western Africa, applying a four-step methodology based on estimating (i) required forage amounts for each country according to its dairy herd, (ii) potential hectares for forage cultivation based on (i), (iii) hectares that can be covered by the two hybrids of interest according to a Target Population of Environment approach, and (iv) potential market values for each country and hybrid. The results show a potential market of 414,388 ha for new interspecific hybrids of Urochloa and 528,409 ha for potential hybrids of Megathyrsus maximus, with approximate annual values of 73.5 and 101.1 million dollars, respectively. Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Kenya hold a market share of 70% for Urochloa, and South Sudan, Ethiopia, and Tanzania a 67% market share for Megathyrsus maximus. The results will help different actors in decision-making, i.e., regarding private sector investments in forage seed commercialization or public sector incentives supporting adoption processes, and thus contribute to increasing food security and sustainability in the region.

Geopolitical risks for Egypt wheat supply and trade

IntroductionSince 2005, Russia has established a stable position in Egypt's wheat imports, and after 2016, it became the largest global wheat exporter. The shift in Russian grain production has visibly affected wheat export destinations in favor of developing countries. This paper identifies the main determinants of wheat trade in Egypt concerning the primary risks associated with the war in Ukraine.MethodsThe paper utilizes time series analysis, index analysis, and an econometric model to define the statistical relationship between the quantity of wheat imported into Egypt and population development, wheat price, and wheat production.ResultsDespite increasing wheat production growth rates (1.9% p.a. over 2000–2020) and a growing population (2.01% p.a.), Egypt is unable to reduce its import dependence below 50% of total consumption. Undernourishment in Egypt remains at 5.2%–5.4% of the population. The econometric model shows that variables describing the evolution of production, population, and prices are statistically significant in relation to wheat imports. Egypt's wheat imports continue to increase even with rising prices, which is typical for developing countries. The war in Ukraine and associated commodity price increases have far-reaching implications for Africa's food security and supply systems.DiscussionEgypt's vulnerability to external influences, such as climate change, migration, rising commodity prices, and population growth, exacerbates the situation. Most African countries, including Egypt, struggle with the economic and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. They also face rising food and energy prices, conflicts between the world's largest food producers, and increasing poverty rates. The research findings confirm that Egypt is among the highly vulnerable countries due to the war in Ukraine and the disruption of agricultural supply chains.

When elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers: the Russo-Ukrainian conflict and the decentring-recentring conundrum in EU-Africa relations

ABSTRACT This article argues that to better understand the evolution of EU-Africa relations it is necessary to decentre the EU’s external action and concurrently recentre Africa’s international agency, while also interrogating the rise of new powers in Africa. Decentring Europe and recentring Africa means challenging the assumptions that Africa needs Europe more than Europe needs Africa and that African states should align with the EU in international settings in defence of the existing global order. By provincializing the EU and engaging extensively with African voices, this article uses the Russo-Ukrainian conflict to unpack key divides between the EU and Africa on whether and how to isolate Russia, explore its consequences for food security in Africa, and expose some contradictions in the EU’s energy policy. It concludes that reconstruction in EU-Africa relations means that the EU should make grounded efforts to treat Africa as a true partner, not an afterthought.

The Inter-Relationship between Climate Change, Inequality, Poverty and Food Security in Africa: A Bibliometric Review and Content Analysis Approach

Despite the persistent income inequality and climate change shocks in Africa, there is limited research on their effects on food security. Hence, this study adopted a mixed-methods approach including a bibliometric analysis and content analysis to examine emerging themes in the literature on climate change, inequality and poverty, and food insecurity in Africa. The bibliometric data used were retrieved from the Scopus database for the period 2000–2022. The exercise revealed an increasing trend in the number of publications in the field, as well as strong collaboration between African countries. Specifically, most of the leading research was published by Kenyan, USA, and UK institutes. From the analysis, seven themes emerged; namely; (1) the impact of governance and policy on poverty alleviation, nutrition status, and food security; (2) the role of innovation and sustainable agriculture in mitigating climate change in developing countries; (3) integrating gender in evaluations of the impact of climate change on food security and livelihoods in Africa; (4) climate change adaptation among smallholders in building resilience for nutrition; (5) the role of institutions in assisting smallholders mitigate and adapt to climate shocks; (6) inequality, food unavailability, and agricultural production; and (7) gendered impacts of climate-smart agriculture in climate adaptation and mitigation. We also found out that there was a dearth of longitudinal studies on these seven themes. Another key element revealed by the study was the lack of policies that address the gender-differentiated impacts of climate change; hence, there is limited research on the agricultural gender productivity gap. Policies based on the tenants of socio-economic inclusion need to guide the distribution of wealth and economic participation in order to reduce inequality and improve food security and nutrition outcomes.

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Parasite ImmunologyVolume 45, Issue 4 e12976 FEATURED COVERFree Access Featured Cover First published: 21 March 2023 https://doi.org/10.1111/pim.12976AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Graphical Abstract The cover image is based on the Special Issue Parasites and the Microbiota. Cover image: Worm; Trichinella spiralis, David Linstead; Obtained from wellcomecollection.org Cover image: Bacteria; Proteus, SEM, David Gregory & Debbie Marshall; Obtained from: wellcomecollection.org Cover image: Food; “Africa Food Security 12 (10665035905)” by Kate Holt/AusAID; Obtained from: commons.wikimedia.org Volume45, Issue4Special Issue: Parasites and the MicrobiotaApril 2023e12976 RelatedInformation

Zero Hunger by 2030 – Are we on track? Climate variability and change impacts on food security in Africa

According to the World Food Programme (WFP), the projected increase in the human population stands at 2 billion people by 2050. At the same time, world food production has been witnessing a declining trend over recent years, and 690 million (8.9%) of the world’s population are already in severe starvation. Climate variability and climate change impacts on food security are very eminent today. Against this backdrop, this study explored the real effects of climate variability and change on food security in Africa by applying the system Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) and the Panel Corrected Standard Errors (PCSEs) estimation techniques on data from 2001 to 2018 for 38 selected African countries. The findings reveal that higher amounts of precipitation positively influence food security along two dimensions: food availability and utilization. Hotter temperatures negatively impact food availability and utilization. However, it aids food accessibility in Africa. Similarly, carbon dioxide emissions improve food availability and are harmful to food accessibility and utilization in Africa. Consequently, the effects of climate variability and change on food security in Africa are undesirable, thereby putting the continent at risk of food insecurity over the long run. These findings provide practical implications for policy change to address the disastrous effects of climate variability and change on food security in Africa.

Sustainable Intensification of Cassava Production towards Food Security in the Lomami Province (DR Congo): Role of Planting Method and Landrace

Cassava is a mainstay crop for food security in Africa, its tubers being a large source of carbohydrates for the human diet. In some regions (e.g., the Democratic Republic of the Congo; DRC), leaves are also consumed as a source of proteins, vitamins, and minerals. Cassava adapts well to a range of soil-climate conditions and requires low inputs, yet yields are often unsatisfactory because of failures in disseminating improved genotypes and agricultural practices. The aim of this study was to test the effect of (i) seedbed preparation for planting cassava (i.e., flat, mounds, and ridges) and (ii) local landraces (i.e., Kakuanga, Kasongoy, Kasonie, Ndunda, and Ngoymuamba) on yield components and their nutritional quality in the Lomami province (DRC). In-depth measurements of yield components were performed, including the number of tubers and stems per plant, leaf biomass, stem biomass, root yield, and peeling yield. Tubers and leaves were also analyzed for chemical composition. Our results demonstrated that mound and ridge seedbed preparations may highly increase tuber yield (+32–68%) compared with flat. This is not the case for leaves and stems, which were not affected. The Ngoymuamba landrace showed a tuber yield about three times larger than Ndunda, which represented the common productivity values (5–8 Mg ha−1). No effect of seedbed preparation was observed and only minor differences between landraces were observed for the chemical composition of roots and leaves. We concluded that selecting the best-performing seedbed preparations × landraces could have a significant potential for achieving in a relatively short time the goal of “Zero Hunger” and improving the diet in the DRC.

The Change in Fertilizer Prices Due to the Russo-Ukraine War

This article examines the significant changes in fertilizer prices due to the Russo-Ukrainian war and its broader economic implications. Historically, crisis cycles have periodically reshaped economic conditions, disrupting standard processes such as currency exchange rates and trade balances. The Russo-Ukrainian conflict escalated pre-existing tensions from the 2014 Crimea annexation and further complicated supply chain issues exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This article explores the correlation between natural gas prices and key agricultural inputs, highlighting how energy prices influence fertilizer costs and food prices. The analysis covers the impact of the conflict on global fertilizer markets, specifically focusing on nitrogen-based fertilizers, the strategic shifts in European supply chains, and food security in Africa. Additionally, the article discusses geopolitical maneuvers such as the Black Sea Grain Initiative and their effects on food security and agricultural productivity. The findings underline the intertwined nature of energy, agriculture, and geopolitical stability, emphasizing the need for adaptive strategies in response to such crises.

Review of Impact of Climate Change on Food Security in Africa

Food Security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. African continent is found to be the most susceptible and vulnerable places to climate change impacts, which is marked as the most food insecure region in the world, because of its reliance on climate sensitive and vulnerable economic sectors (rain fed agriculture) and its lower financial, technical, and technological capacity to adapt the climate change risks, and climate change is considered as posing the greatest threat to agriculture production and food security in the 21st century, particularly, in many of the poor, agriculture-based countries of Africa. Climate change affects food security in various ways: through impacting on all four components of food security (availability, accessibility, affordability, utilization and nutritional value and food system stability), through impacting on crop production and yield, through impacting on water availability, through impacting on fisheries production, through impacting on agricultural pests (weed, insect and disease pests), and through impacting on livestock production. African continent specially, Sub-Saharan African region is found to be the most drought prone area in the World. The severity of climate change extreme events/or drought induced food insecurity and malnutrition in Africa is emphasized. In Africa, food insecurity and malnutrition became chronic induced by repeatedly occurring drought. Due to climate change extreme event/or drought drive food crises/hunger many Africans were badly affected For instance, more than 100 million people were affected by drought driven hunger in Africa. So, Africa especially, Sub-Saharan Africa is marked as the most food insecure region in the world, and has the highest proportion of food insecure people, with an estimated regional average of 26.8% of the population undernourished and this rates could be over 50%. Moreover, the risk of hunger will increase by 10-20% in 2050. Similarly, in Africa, due to climate change impacts, the number of malnourished children is projected to be increased in 2030 and 2050 from the baseline (33 million) to 42 million and 52 million respectively. Thus, climate change impacts on food security has to be taken as key issue and impact reduction strategy options have to be implemented. Keywords: Impact of climate change, food security, malnutrition, food insecurity DOI: 10.7176/JRDM/90-03 Publication date: January 31 st 2023

A Systematic Review of the Impact of Climate Change Adaptation Strategies on Food Security in Africa

A Systematic Review of the Impact of Climate Change Adaptation Strategies on Food Security in Africa

Global Food Security and Ukraine’s Contribution to Its Provision

The aim of the article is to study the essence of global food security and assess Ukraine’s contribution to its provision. The essence of the concept of “global food security” is clarified. The tasks of specialized institutions dealing with the problem of global food security are described. Ukraine’s participation in the FAO and the UN World Food Security Committee has been clarified. It has been established that the Global Food Security Index (GFSI) is used to assess food security around the world, which includes four components: food affordability, food affordability, food quality, safety an d security, natural resources and sustainability. Ukraine’s contribution to the world food market has been studied. The structure of the total merchandise exports of Ukraine was analyzed, it was found that the share of agri-food products is 40.6%, and the share of plant products is 22.8%. Ukraine’s place in world food exports is specifi ed, the geographical structure of food exports is considered. Ukraine’s contribution to food security in Africa and Asia is analyzed. The dynamics of Ukrainian grain exports to the world market has been studied. The risks and threats to global food security related to the Russian armed invasion of Ukraine are described. The USDA forecast for grain exports from Ukraine is given. The conclusion is made about the need to protect and support the production of agricultural products in Ukraine under martial law.

Climate Change's Impact on Agriculture and Food Security: An Opportunity to Showcase African Animal Genetic Resources

One of the current issues facing humanity is ensuring sustained global food security in the face of devastating effects of climate change; this challenge is particularly pressing on the African continent. Here, I present an opinion piece identifying local animal genetic resources as "African leverage point" that provide the highest chances to cushion rural fork to climate change, enhance environmental sustainability and food security in Africa. When it comes to boosting food production, coping with climate change, or bolstering the delivery of a wide range of ecosystem services, I believe that African animal genetic resources are essential alternatives for the sustainable growth of the livestock industry and its contribution to food security. Africa needs to address the support and development of indigenous animal genetic resources in order to meet the basic food needs of more than 1 billion people, address numerous environmental issues with continental implications, and focus on more effective and resilient food systems with the greatest impact on food security. The indigenous animal resources diversity and support actions to this unique group could provide a boost in protein that is lacking to constitute healthy diets in Africa. The priorities of nonprofit organizations, foundations, governments, citizens' groups, and companies can be influenced by this leverage point in the African food system. Due to continuous food insecurity, which appears to be becoming worse with climate change and makes it even harder to accomplish the SDGs on the continent, Africa has paid a hefty price for being misled about the worth of its own animal genetic resources. To the contrary, it is highly improbable that a strategy to improve food security and rural livelihoods that undermines the utilization of indigenous animal genetic resources will be viable in long-term. If Africa makes an effort, is committed, and fully commits resources to putting indigenous animal genetic resources at the forefront of combating food insecurity and accelerating the achievement of SDGs, it can achieve more under the adverse prevailing climate change induce environmental conditions. Our personal opinion is that we would not have had the ongoing food problems, even in the face of climate change, if Africa had over the years implemented the necessary mechanisms to develop and promote local animal genetic resources. What lies ahead in terms of climate change effect on food security in Africa is anyone's guess – but whatever it is, promoting continental adapted indigenous animal genetic resources portfolio is ready to handle it. Development and promotion of African animal genetic resources should be part of a continental strategy to transform smallholder animal production by 2050, in line with the goals of achieving the SGDs, to improve rural household food security, and bringing rural economy prosperity, resilience, sustainability, and all other desired animal related food outcomes for rural healthy diets. African animal genetic resources are the most important but underutilized resource to address the issue of ongoing food insecurity. The responsible use of local animal genetic resources through climate smart animal husbandry practices also contributes to food security, rural development and increased employment opportunities. African genetic improvement programs involving indigenous animal genetic resources must be considered as regards to local agriculture and livestock development aspirations, appropriateness to local reality and livelihood security, as well as environmental friendliness. Animal agriculture will fill in the enormous gaps in the continent's food supply if this animal group receives adequate attention and is used integrated properly in crop and livestock systems which characterize smallholder farming sector in Africa. Because they have evolved over time to accommodate the various climatic conditions and environmental pressures on the continent, Africa's native animal genetic resources are particularly resilient. Indirectly, the impact of climate change offers a chance to use native animal genetics from Africa. The use of local animal genetic diversity has the potential to substantially improve Africa's food security landscape hence should be given special consideration for sociocultural, environmental, and economic aspects, and with regard for smallholder farmer-specific factors of interest. African animal genetic resources have contributed significantly to the food and nutrition security aspects of the millions of people in their communities of origin and custody in Africa. The purpose of the perception piece is to educate the reader about the fundamental mechanisms that control the use of continental animal genetic resources and how the outlook for these mechanisms can be manipulated in the future for the benefit of improving food security in Africa. The discussion provides in-depth insight into the pertinent literature in understanding the significance of local animal genetic resources in terms of their contribution to food security in Africa.

Climate Change Impact on Small-Scale Animal Agriculture: Livestock Water & Food Security in Africa

Water is essential for food security and animal agricultural productivity, but it is becoming more scarce due to climate change. The interaction between climate change and livestock water resources has received little attention from researchers, despite the significance of small-scale animal husbandry for the rural poor in Africa and the size of the changes that are anticipated to have an impact on smallholder livestock systems. Threats to livestock water are undoubtedly one of the most significant environmental issues that have impacted food security on the continent, given their links to small-scale animal husbandry and the detrimental impacts on productivity. In order to balance the negative effects of climate change scenarios for sustainable animal productivity and contribute to food security through small-scale animal agriculture, the most climate-smart and resilient agricultural water practices and technologies must be used. Changes in rainfall and a decline in the biomass available for grazing and rangelands as a result of water stress brought on by the climate would have the most severe effects. This is due to the rain-fed nature of small-scale livestock farming. The local animal genetic resources are essential for animal productivity and food security in Africa, particularly in areas where livestock water is becoming scarce owing to climate change. Research and development goals on the effects of climate change on livestock water, animal productivity, and food security may need to be reviewed if demands of vulnerable small-scale animal producers are to be successfully addressed in the future decades. It is best to use an interdisciplinary approach to comprehend the relationships between small-scale animal husbandry, food security, and climate change. By navigating the complexities of climate adaptation, small-scale livestock farmers can manage livestock water scarcity by taking adaptation measures that are in line with evolving climate impacts and associated means of implementation based on pertinent and useful knowledge that takes into account a blend of traditional and modern water science. In this paper, an effort is made to close some significant information gaps and shed light on how water-induced stress impacts small-scale animal production, which has an effect on food security.

Aquaponics production system: A review of historical perspective, opportunities, and challenges of its adoption.

The aquaponics production system integrates hydroponics and recirculatory aquaculture system for the simultaneous production of plants and fish. At a time, such as the postpandemic era, the aquaponics system represents an efficient green farming and eco-friendly alternative to sustainable agricultural production. In this review, the history and development of the production systems were traced vis-a-vis its pros and cons. Although there has been much dispute about the origin of the system, the numerous records of developmental attempts in history have all led to the current complexity of the systems and their efficiency. Water conservation, improved performance, food security, less pollution, and low energy consumption are some of the advantages identified in the use of aquaponics systems for food production. Challenges to the domestication of the system, however, include moderately high start-up capital, the need for stable electricity to operate the system, nutrient availability, as well as treatment of diseases in the system. Although the aquaponics production system could be a panacea for food security in Africa, modalities for the domestication of this technology are largely not in place, hence the need for some government interventions in this regard.

Usefulness and misrepresentation of phone surveys on COVID-19 and food security in Africa

We survey efforts that track food security in Africa using phone surveys during the COVID-19 pandemic. Phone surveys are concentrated in a few countries mostly focusing on a narrow theme. Only a few allow heterogeneous analyses across socioeconomic, spatial, and intertemporal dimensions across countries, leaving important issues inadequately enumerated. We recommend that the scientific community focuses on countries (and regions and groups within countries) where the evidence base is thin, and that policymakers in less researched areas attract more research by improving their statistical capacity, openness, and governance.

Russia-Ukraine War, its Impacts on Food Security in Africa

The study examines the pattern of food inflation in Africa, the extent to which Russia-Ukraine war impacted food inflation in Africa and find out whether the war going on between Russia and Ukraine is likely to instigate social unrest in Africa. The study was a longitudinal panel design. Three research questions guided the study. The population comprised 39 time series data points which spanned January 2019 to March 2022 on food inflation for the 54 African countries. A sample size of four countries comprising of Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya and Morocco were purposively selected. Data were sourced from Trading Economics database and analyzed using descriptive analysis trend analysis, mean, and percentage. Results showed that Nigeria recorded the highest food inflation rate relative to the other sampled countries. Morocco recorded the least food inflation rate. However, Morocco and Kenya were struck the most by food prices as a result of the war. The study also found out that the continuous rise in food prices has the potential to spark social unrest in Africa. The paper recommends that government at all level should ensure that security of life and property is guarantee. That way farmers can safely go about with their agricultural activities.

The impact of phosphorus on projected Sub-Saharan Africa food security futures

Sub-Saharan Africa must urgently improve food security. Phosphorus availability is one of the major barriers to this due to low historical agricultural use. Shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs) indicate that only a sustainable (SSP1) or a fossil fuelled future (SSP5) can improve food security (in terms of price, availability, and risk of hunger) whilst nationalistic (SSP3) and unequal (SSP4) pathways worsen food security. Furthermore, sustainable SSP1 requires limited cropland expansion and low phosphorus use whilst the nationalistic SSP3 is as environmentally damaging as the fossil fuelled pathway. The middle of the road future (SSP2) maintains today’s inadequate food security levels only by using approximately 440 million tonnes of phosphate rock. Whilst this is within the current global reserve estimates the market price alone for a commonly used fertiliser (DAP) would cost US$ 130 ± 25 billion for agriculture over the period 2020 to 2050 and the farmgate price could be two to five times higher due to additional costs (e.g. transport, taxation etc.). Thus, to improve food security, economic growth within a sustainability context (SSP1) and the avoidance of nationalist ideology (SSP3) should be prioritised.

Green Environment-Social Protection Interaction and Food Security in Africa.

Expanding food production to commensurate with population growth has often come at a cost resulting from environmental problems. Industries generate pollutants that destroy the environment and negatively affect the level of food security. These trends threaten the sustainability of food systems and undermine the capacity to meet food security needs. Against this backdrop, this study examines how the green environment influences food security in Africa. To further articulate the novelty and contributions of the research to the extant literature, the study also examines the interaction effect of the green environment and social protection on food security. The study engaged panel data consisting of 37 African countries listed in the International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank. The data was sourced from Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), Country Policy and Institutional Assessment (CPIA) and the World Development Indicators (WDI) for the period 2005 to 2019 and applied the system Generalised Method of Moments (SGMM). The result shows that a green environment and social protection are statistically significant and positively determine the level of food security in Africa. In addition, the result shows that a green environment and social protection interaction positively and significantly influence food security. The implication is that a 1% increase in the drive for a green environment may improve the level of food security by 0.8%. Also, increases in the level of social protection intervention may increase food security by 1.2%. The interaction between social protection and food security can increase food security by 0.96%. In summary, it is found that African countries under study have moderate social protection coverage and policy for environmental management and sustainability required to drive food security. The discussions of the findings and policy implications of the study are underscored in the paper.

Prospects for Organic Farming in Coping with Climate Change and Enhancing Food Security in Southern Africa: A Systematic Literature Review

The potential for organic farming (OF) as a system that enhances climate change (CC) adaptation and improves food security in Africa has been a provocative topic in global discussions. Although OF is promptly increasing globally, the pertinent question is to figure out how OF can result in sustainable food production systems. This systematic literature review was undertaken through two database searches to maximize available data and relevant literature (Scopus and Wiley Online Library), resulting in 2069 documents published between 2007 and 2022. After excluding documents that were duplicates, not presented in English and irrelevant, 538 documents remained. From the remaining documents, 406 were excluded after careful review (not meeting at least one of the inclusion criteria), and 132 documents remained. Finally, 95 documents were excluded after assessing and reviewing full-text articles for eligibility. As a result, 37 documents were included (eligible) in the systematic review. The inclusion criteria followed in this study considered language, thematic focus and document type. The reviewed articles suggest that OF can be one of the climate change adaptation options, preserve environmental impact and improve food security. However, the relative performance in OF differs from region to region. Correspondingly, the organic–conventional yield gap mostly depends on crops and cropping practices. This review concludes the prospects of organic agriculture in Southern Africa are still largely untapped, particularly by smallholder farmers who remain uncertified. Therefore, the review recommends organised interventions on various fronts, starting with organic certification and regulation. Accordingly, sustainability (economic, environmental and social) and investments in OF need to be reinforced and promoted by stakeholders, as it has the potential to alleviate the swarming farming challenges posed by climate change and to address food insecurity.

11. African Union

The African Union’s activity on environment, energy, and natural resources was not as abundant as in previous years. This slowdown is inevitably due to the prevalence of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the main organs of the African Union (AU) held their regular annual sessions and decided on a number of matters. The AU Assembly had a range of business on its docket, including the launch of business for 2021 and its overall theme. The launching of this ordinary session had given the opportunity to the Assembly to deal with the problems related to the environment. For its part, the Executive Council, which met for two ordinary sessions, also had a rich order of business, which gave rise to a series of decisions. First, the Executive Council handed down a decision on the problem of desertification, drought, and famine, which is causing appalling humanitarian situations on the African continent. In line with this situation, it also took a decision on the AU Commission’s report on the humanitarian situation in Africa. Furthermore, another Executive Council decision underlined the growing problem of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Africa due to natural disasters and the effects of climate change. In this regard, it finally took a decision to encourage member states to build resilience in nutrition and food security in Africa and to maintain a convergence of actions related to the response to these various problems. As for the actions and decisions of the AU Commission, no significant activities on the environment, energy, or natural resources were reported this year. Our report will therefore focus on the activities of the Assembly and the Executive Council.