The interwoven threads of Africa's challenges: food, climate and poverty insecurity

On September 25, 2015, the United Nations General Assembly officially adopted the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Every African country joined in this unanimous decision by the 193 UN member states. Since that time, the continent has made significant progress in many key areas. 

Primary school enrollment now exceeds 80 percent in Africa, according to the United Nations educational, scientific and cultural organization, representing one of the highest global increases. There have been substantial reductions in maternal and child mortality rates, along with over 70 percent reductions in diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. 

In terms of economic forecasts, Africa is set to post 4 percent GDP growth in 2023 and 2024, outperforming the global average of 3.2 percent, according to the African Development Bank (see page 16). The continent has also made remarkable progress in gender equality, ranking second only to Europe with 17 female parliamentary heads, while leading the global business sector with women holding a quarter of board positions. 

This progress can be attributed to a heightened political commitment to the SDGs, strategic integration of goals into national policies, credible international support, technological advancements, community-driven initiatives and diversification beyond traditional sectors. 

Despite these successes, Africa’s journey towards achieving the SDGs has been uneven across regions and sectors. Reports from the World Bank, African Development Bank, Brookings Institution and Mo Ibrahim Foundation highlight significant ongoing challenges, particularly regarding inclusivity and sustainability. In this piece, I pick out the interwoven threads of Africa’s challenges, focusing on food, climate and poverty, before presenting brief policy recommendations based on various theoretical and empirical insights. 

The far-reaching impacts of food insecurity 

Although we are living in the most prosperous era in history, food insecurity is a growing concern. Almost 30 percent of the global population, 2.4 billion people, faced moderate or severe food insecurity, according to UN estimates from 2022. Tipping the scales from uncertainty to suffering, 900 million people, almost 10 percent of the world’s population, are going hungry every night. 

The situation is particularly grave in Africa, where around 20 percent of the total population, or 280 million people, live in chronic hunger – more than double the share of other regions. To put this into perspective, the figure for Asia is 9.1 percent, followed by 8.6 percent in Latin America and the Caribbean, 5.8 percent in Oceania and less than 2.5 percent in North America and Europe. Africa also has the highest burden of acute food insecurity, with 16 out of 24 countries in the world classified as hunger hotspots by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Food Programme (WFP) located on the continent. 

Food insecurity manifests itself differently between and within regions and countries. Across Africa, 38 nations face acute food insecurity, topped by five conflict-affected countries: the Democratic Republic of the Congo (with 25.8 million people affected), Nigeria (24.9 million), Sudan (20.3 million), Ethiopia (19.9 million) and South Sudan (7.8 million). Together, these five countries account for almost two-thirds of food insecurity across the continent. Beyond violent conflict, various factors are driving this rise, including poverty, weak institutions, poor governance, extreme weather and limited access to modern technologies. The COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine further deepened these trends, with supply chain disruptions of food and fertilizers. 

Food insecurity in Africa has a far-reaching impact and is closely intertwined with climate and poverty insecurity. For example, food insecurity depletes resources and increases vulnerability to environmental changes, exacerbating climate insecurity. Malnutrition arising from food insecurity also impacts physical and cognitive development, leading to increased childhood illness and mortality. Moreover, food insecurity contributes significantly to poverty, creating or reinforcing cycles of hardship and vulnerability. In Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia recurrent droughts have severely impacted agricultural productivity, leading to food shortages and increased poverty, particularly in rural areas. 

The ripple effects of climate insecurity 

Climate change poses an existential threat to current and future life on earth. We are witnessing more frequent heatwaves, droughts, wildfires and expanding deserts as water access declines. Natural disasters are becoming more common, glaciers are melting and sea levels are rising globally. According to a recent report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), more than 3 billion people, over 40 percent of the global population, are classed as “highly vulnerable”. 

Yet climate change affects different regions, countries and cities in different ways. Despite contributing the least to global warming, Africa is the most vulnerable region worldwide. Currently, 17 of the 20 countries most threatened by climate change are in Africa, and climate change impacts national budgets across the continent by 2 to 9 percent, according to the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). 

The frequency of floods, storms and droughts in the region has increased massively, from 85 recorded events in the 1970s to over 540 between 2010 and 2019. Some areas bear the heaviest burden of climate insecurity, with North Africa and West Africa particularly vulnerable, expecting temperature increases of between 1.5°C and 3°C. Climate change insecurity in Africa has several causes, including deforestation, land degradation, over-reliance on rain-fed agriculture, rapid urbanization with population growth, dependence on fossil fuels and weak adaptation and mitigation policies. 

This insecurity is closely linked with food scarcity, poverty and health concerns. Climate change reduces agricultural productivity, impedes poverty reduction and exacerbates socio-economic inequalities. For example, East Africa has lost almost 2 million livestock in a year due to recurrent drought and low-response capacity. Climate change also exacerbates malnutrition, heatstroke and disease outbreaks, including malaria and cholera. This complex interplay between climate change insecurity and issues of food and poverty underlines the need for integrated policy approaches. 

How poverty perpetuates the cycle of insecurity 

Global extreme poverty decreased from 2 billion people in 1990 to 682 million people in 2022, with the highest reductions in East Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, and South Asia. Factors contributing to this trend include the rapid economic growth of developing countries, improved access to education and healthcare, and work towards the Millennium Development Goals and the Sustainable Development Goals. 

The decline in global extreme poverty from 1990 to 2022 was not, however, universal. Sub-Saharan Africa is now the primary region for extreme poverty. In 1990, only 13 percent of the extremely poor lived there. By 2022, this rose to 62 percent, or 426 million people. Currently, 23 out of the 28 poorest countries globally are in Africa. The disparities between regions in Africa are significant, with Central Africa having the highest extreme poverty rate at 54.8 percent, followed by Southern Africa at 45.1 percent, Western Africa at 36.8 percent and Eastern Africa at 33.8 percent. 

The causes of extreme poverty in Africa are complex and multifaceted, including economic factors such as high unemployment rates, low productivity and limited access to credit. Weak institutions and governance, wars and conflicts, climate change and environmental degradation, poor infrastructure, lack of access to services and inadequate health and education services are also significant contributors. 

Extreme poverty in Africa is closely linked with food insecurity and climate change. Countries such as Niger and Chad in the Sahel region face extreme poverty due to a combination of climate change and food scarcity. Malnutrition and a lack of clean water lead to widespread diseases, perpetuating poverty. To address these challenges, comprehensive and integrated policy strategies are necessary. These strategies should address extreme poverty, climate change and food insecurity concurrently to foster sustainable development across the continent. 

A four-pronged agenda for action

Food, climate and poverty insecurities in Africa are interconnected and pose significant challenges to individuals, countries and the international community. To paraphrase Martin Luther King Jr.: “Insecurity anywhere is a threat to security everywhere.” However, there is no one-size-fits-all solution to these challenges, which require a nuanced approach that considers the diverse regional and national differences of Africa. 

Here are four key policy recommendations: 

1. Invest in sustainable economic development – by promoting education, entrepreneurship and job creation – particularly in the most impoverished areas of central Africa. Setting up social safety nets and conditional cash transfer programs will also protect vulnerable populations in the wake of so-called natural disasters. 
2. Ensure governance and policies are inclusive, transparent and accountable at all levels. Channel aid and trade through established institutions to ensure benefits reach the intended populations. This is particularly important when tackling political instability in parts of North Africa and the Sahel. 
3. Encourage regional cooperation in climate action plans, particularly in the Sahel and Nile Basin. Cooperation is key to managing shared resources and addressing cross-border environmental challenges. Strengthening partnerships with international bodies for technical and financial support in climate adaptation and mitigation strategies is also crucial. 
4. Develop agricultural policies that support climate-resilient and sustainable farming practices, especially in East and Southern Africa, which are facing the most severe climate shocks. Investment in research and development of drought-resistant crops and efficient water management systems will also reap dividends. 

While Africa is facing massive challenges, recent changes in the global landscape and geopolitics may work in the continent’s favor. It has considerable resources and as Europe seeks to diversify its energy supply, investment plans will be adjusted accordingly. To seize this moment, governments will however need to learn from past mistakes, when investors were frightened and revenues were squandered. Adonis Pouroulis, CEO of the energy group Chariot, which is active across the continent, recently told the Financial Times: “This century is Africa’s century.” 

Africa and the OPEC Fund 

Gambia: Rural Infrastructure Development Project 

Approved: October 2011

Completed: May 2020

Total project cost: US$10 million

OPEC Fund financing: US$10 million 

The project helped alleviate poverty by increasing the productive capacity of economic activities in rural and peripheral areas through the provision of economic and social infrastructure to rural communities. With poverty and food insecurity widespread, nearly half of Gambia’s 2 million population live in poverty, 40 percent of which in rural areas. Gambia requires investment in physical infrastructure, services and productive activities. 

Despite the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the project was successfully implemented and added basic infrastructure in five impoverished rural regions. This included construction of school buildings and provisions of safe water supply. Because of the success, in June 2023 the government requested a second phase of the program.