Ensuring food security in Africa

The Agricultural industry forms part of the essentials of the African development and survival as it accounts as the main economic influence and employs most locals; particularly farmers who represents more than 60% of Africans. Today, the main priority is to fight against several challenges namely, poverty, climate change and to continue the progress in ensuring food security. The Horn of Africa is one of the world’s most unstable regions when it comes to food. These areas are vulnerable to famine and malnutrition which cause deaths, severe diseases as well as economic instabilities. Today several African countries dedicate themselves to provide the agricultural sector with more and more yields like coffee and tobacco. West African, East African and Southern African countries have made the bigger progresses in reducing the proportion of undernourished people as most of them are net food importers.

Climate Change – Negatives

The effects of climate change have already been handled by Africans. Change in temperatures have partly affected the health, food production, water availability, and general security of African people. In fact, Africa has seen a decrease in rainfall in the Southern Africa and an increase in Central Africa causing floods and droughts to duple. Unfortunately, with droughts, heat pressure and floods, there has been a reduction in crop growth and a decrease in livestock productivity.

Positives

• Solar Energy

Climate Change has given a boost the renewables, a new form of technology which makes the happiness of a lot of Africans. Being eco-friendly, it is also an exciting time for the continent. With solar energy for example, it is resolving two out of three people’s problem and particularly in the Sub Saharan Africa. With solar energy, electricity gets more predominant and reachable on the continent.

• Technology Exposure

Africa is home to nearly 2 billion people and as a growing population, it is now the time to move on to new modern ways to increase the food productivity. With the emergence of technology on the African territory, things are slowly showing progress. African entrepreneurs are now getting interested in how farmers could see their productions grow. As more and more technology is getting implemented and accessible, entrepreneurs are now apt to deliver solutions to farmers which could be less costly than traditional farming.

Digital technology opens vast opportunities for farmers to improve food production and consumption. Technology is after all the answer to the African economy, social and environmental progress and most of all, in providing to the African population, food security.