About Africa #41: Food insecurity in Africa, how bad is it?
One of the top news items in Africa this week was the closure of the UN Food Program office in Johannesburg as part of the Trump Administration’s recently announced US aid cuts. The next question then is, what will be its impact on food security (if any) on the continent, which — according to the UN — is already in a dire situation in some countries.
Food insecurity is defined by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations as the “situation when people lack secure access to sufficient amounts of safe and nutritious food for normal growth and development and an active and healthy life.”
It could be due to an absolute lack of food, only the wrong types of food being available, lack of effective supply chains, civil war, famine, or a host of contributing factors
Before we dig into it, let’s establish that not all Africans want handouts, as many people in the West might believe.
Can aid be reimagined to deliver meaningful value? {Business Africa} | Africanews
The latest report from the World Bank says:
“Food security continues to be at alarming levels in most low-income countries, particularly in Africa with an estimated 61.6 million food-insecure people in East Africa and nearly 50 million people projected to face food insecurity in Western and Central Africa. Conflicts and climate change continue to be the main driver of food insecurity.”
It’s unclear, however, how they arrived at those figures and which countries exactly are affected by this. After all, at the end of the Food Security update, there is the disclaimer:
The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or currency of the data included in this work and does not assume responsibility for any errors, omissions, or discrepancies in the information, or liability with respect to the use of or failure to use the information, methods, processes, or conclusions set forth. The boundaries, colors, denominations, and other information shown on any map in this work do not imply any judgment on the part of the World Bank concerning the legal status of any territory or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries.
In any case, as one might expect, most of the countries highlighted are in Africa. So let’s look at some news pertaining to food security in Africa, from Africa . . .
Nigeria has made significant progress in reducing hunger, with its Global Hunger Index (GHI) score dropping by 27.05 per cent from 39.5 in 2000 to 28.8 in 2024. Likewise, South Africa and Egypt have seen improvements, with reductions of 30.56 per cent and 18.01 per cent, respectively, as their GHI scores decreased from 18 and 16.1 in 2000 to 12.5 and 13.2 in 2024.
The title of the article from which the above passage is taken is quite misleading: Top 10 most food-secure African countries in 2025, but it highlights the African countries who have made significant progress in dealing with food insecurity.
Tinubu committed to boosting Nigeria’s Food Security, warns against land grabbing ~Amb. Tuggar
Ambassador Tuggar relayed President Tinubu’s vow to cushion the impact of economic reforms. “Pain is temporary; progress is permanent. Microcredit schemes and subsidized machinery will soon follow,” he said.
“Food security is national security. Udobo’s revival symbolizes our resolve: a Nigeria where no farmer fears progress,” Tuggar concluded, as villagers applauded.
Nigeria not at risk of food scarcity – Agriculture Minister
The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Abdullahi, has revealed that 118,000 hectares of wheat have been cultivated across 11 states to tackle food scarcity.
Ethiopia lauds "significant progress" in achieving food self-sufficiency
Recalling that Ethiopia used to spend nearly one billion U.S. dollars annually on wheat imports to meet domestic demand as local production was insufficient, the Ethiopian Office of the Prime Minister said since the 2020/2021 harvest, the country has completely ceased wheat imports.
World Bank's Food Systems Resilience Program Familiarizing Event Underway in Addis Ababa
“Here in Ethiopia, we have committed the single largest country financing to the FSRP – USD 600 million. And we are working with bilateral donors, including KfW of Germany and the Netherlands Embassy, to co-finance the program with additional USD 65 million.”
Although still in its early stages, the program has already shown results with 330,000 farmers adopting resilient agricultural practices and 3,000 hectares irrigated in the country.” — World Bank Operations Manager Maryam Salim
Over 2 mln people face food insecurity in Kenya
The NDMA said on Friday that the worsening food security is attributed to below-normal short rains, reversing gains from previous seasons, leading to household food consumption gaps and elevated levels of malnutrition.
Kenya banks on digital soil mapping project to address growing food security concerns
By providing farmers with accurate soil fertility information and specific recommendations for their lands, the initiative aims to optimise agricultural inputs and improve crop yields. This scientific approach to farming could help reverse the trend of declining soil fertility and enhance food production across the country.
Other interesting reads:
Investing In Agriculture Through Regulated Crowdfunding
Harnessing indigenous knowledge for food security and conservation