UN Africa report warns of concerning food security and nutrition data, calls for comprehensive solutions

11 Dec 2023 --- A report released jointly by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the African Union Commission (AUC), the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the World Food Programme (WFP) reveals that nearly 282 million people in Africa — around 20% of the population — faced undernourishment in 2022.

The organizations reveal that this represents an increase of 57 million people since the onset of the pandemic.

“The findings of the report should trigger the momentum for agri-food systems transformation along with other systems such as education, health, and energy, for better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life for all, and to ensure that no one is left behind,” a spokesperson for UN ECA tells Nutrition Insight.

The analysis further reveals that over 868 million people in Africa experienced moderate to severe food insecurity, with 342 million facing severe food insecurity. Progress toward meeting global nutrition targets by 2030 remains sluggish, with millions suffering from widespread micronutrient deficiencies. Additionally, overweight and obesity pose significant public health concerns in many countries.

“Most critical to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goal 2: Zero Hunger (SDG2) is to allocate sufficient investment toward accelerating the transformation of food systems. Building resilient food systems requires significant investments.” 

The UN spokesperson outlines the need for a three-pronged approach to dealing with the alarming statistics on malnutrition. This includes protecting the livelihood of vulnerable people, incentivizing strategic investment in the agricultural and agribusiness sector in Africa and sustaining the momentum of the African Union’s Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP).

African small-scale farmers and agribusiness enterprises should have easier access to fertilizers and agricultural inputs.Private sector solutions
On the protection of the livelihood of vulnerable people, the spokesperson outlines the need for “national governments, countries, the private sector and civil society, in support of development partners, to help the most vulnerable populations apply coordinated, people-centered solutions.” 

There is an emphasis on the need for comprehensive rather than fragmented interventions.

One potential solution highlighted by the spokesperson is the need to expand social protection programs beyond the social safety net to include small-scale farmers and agribusiness enterprises that may be unable to access required fertilizers and agricultural inputs to avoid the risk that current market disturbances may be felt through 2024.

“This is critical as many more people would be pushed into poverty and hunger because of the crisis, hence the need for timely and well-targeted social protection programs,” the spokesperson explains.

The UN ECA underscores that investments in risk insurance by supporting the development of appropriate policy and regulatory frameworks, as well as enhancing the capacity of the domestic insurance industry to address agricultural risks.

“African countries, in support of development partners and the private sector, should diversify food supplies, consider alternative suppliers to absorb the shock and reliance on existing food stocks and indigenous food to enhance people’s access to affordable, healthy diets.”

ECA may develop a country-focused assessment project that examines the body of legislations, regulations, policies, supporting systems and institutional frameworks.Agribusiness investment
Pointing to how the current crisis has revealed the impacts of the sustained heavy dependence of Africa, at large, on the global market to secure staple crops and farming inputs, the spokesperson asserts the need for African nations, in collaboration with development partners, to incentivize strategic investment in the agriculture and agribusiness sectors. 

“These investments should focus on priority economic activities, including the production of capital-intensive inputs, including fertilizers, pesticides and improved seeds,” they state. “This would essentially necessitate a revitalization of the business environment. 

“In cooperation with concerned partners, ECA may develop a country-focused assessment project that examines the body of legislations, regulations, policies, supporting systems, and institutional framework toward an agribusiness-conducive business environment.”

The spokesperson emphasizes eth need for national governments to create and enhance necessary, appropriate policy and institutional conditions and support systems that facilitate private investment in agriculture, agribusiness and agro-industries. 

“Agricultural transformation based on the full engagement of the private sector can only be achieved by implementing appropriately designed long-term inclusive strategies, good governance, establishing innovative public–private partnerships, and ensuring strong political will for better results.” 

ECA argues that African countries should commit to the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme financing through institutions and private sector actors to invest in agriculture.The Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme
Discussing the CAADP, the African Union’s policy framework for agricultural transformation, wealth creation, food security, nutrition security and economic growth, the spokesperson asserts that African countries should commit to CAADP financing through institutions and private sector actors to invest in agriculture.

“Bilateral and multilateral partners should align their programs with countries’ priorities, as indicated in CAADP national agriculture investment plans that best respond to country-specific priorities, in line with the Addis Ababa Action Agenda and the Decade of Action and the recently endorsed African common position for the acceleration of food systems to be more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable.”

Pointing to the momentum created by the African common position at the UN Food Systems Summit, the spokesperson states that “these proposed lines of actions are in line with the call to action at the summit in 2021 and the Malabo Declaration.”

For the first time, the report includes estimates of the cost and affordability of a healthy diet, shedding light on economic access to nutritious foods. 

The spokesperson highlights that this critical insight reinforces the urgency for nations to enhance their efforts toward achieving a world without hunger and malnutrition by 2030. 

With projected lower rates of economic growth, escalating general and food price inflation, and increasing borrowing costs on domestic and international markets since 2022, the organization says immediate action is paramount.

The report calls for a comprehensive transformation of agri-food systems, urging collaborative efforts across education, health and energy sectors to foster better production, improved nutrition, and a healthier environment to pursue a hunger-free and malnutrition-free world by 2030.

By Milana Nikolova