Africa Is Growing But Locals Remain Hungry

 Niyi Aderibigbe Economic Development & Policies, Investing

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VENTURES AFRICA – Africa may have the fastest growing middle class in the world, but the continent also has the highest percentage of undernourished people globally, The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2014 by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations revealed.
According to the new report, 23.8 percent of people in sub-Saharan Africa are undernourished, with one in four people chronically hungry. The greatest challenge before the sub-region is reversing this trend and making its impressive economic growth translate into a better life for its people.

Hunger is on a decline

Reducing hunger and malnutrition shows that progress at the global level has continued but that food insecurity remains a challenge yet to be conquered.
According to
the report, latest estimates show that, since 1990, the prevalence of undernourishment has fallen from 18.7 to 11.3 percent as at 2013 for the world as a whole, 23.4 to 13.5 percent for the developing regions, and 24.4 to 23.8 percent for sub-Saharan Africa.

Availability is key
Food availability remains a major element of food insecurity in the poorer regions of the world, notably sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Southern Asia, where progress has been relatively limited.
Increasing productivity may not sufficiently address problems of access for net food buyers and for other vulnerable groups who may require targeted policy interventions such as strengthening safety nets and other social protection.
As economies grow and diversify away from food and agriculture, access to food becomes increasingly important for achieving food security. Higher rural labour productivity may raise income levels, which should further boost access. This can be tackled through policy interventions, among other things.

2025 target

In July 2014, at the African Union summit in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, African Heads of State committed to end hunger in the continent by 2025. The commitment promises to strengthen on-going efforts within the framework of NEPAD’s Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP). The Africa Solidarity Trust Fund for Food Security, established in 2013, is also a manifestation of the willingness of the region to create the appropriate instruments to move forward the hunger eradication agenda.
The Africa Solidarity Trust Fund for Food Security, established in 2013, is also a manifestation of the willingness of the region to create the appropriate instruments to move forward the hunger eradication agenda. Governments in various regions have also responded to the call made by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in his Zero Hunger Challenge: to build a future in which all people enjoy their fundamental right to food, and in which their livelihoods and food systems are resilient and able to withstand the pressures induced by climate change and other resource and environmental challenges.

Steps ahead

Political commitment is not enough to end poverty in Africa; there are steps that needs to be taken, including: the adoption of a comprehensive large-scale approach to prioritizing and investing in agriculture, rural development, education, health, decent work, social protection and equality of opportunity. Policies and programmes are also required to improve the productivity of family farmers, especially women and youth.
Investing in sustainable family farming also plays crucial role as family farmers produce a high proportion of the food we eat and are, by far, the biggest source of employment in the world.