How to feed African agriculture
The continent needs to tackle hunger issues with governments adopting a science-driven system to make the sector more productive and sustainable, write Frans Swanepoel and Aldo Stroebel
Two hundred and twenty-seven million of the world’s chronically hungry live in Africa. This translates to about 30% of this group. Seven out of 10 people living in sub-Saharan Africa are farmers (compared with the US, where the ratio is two out of a 100) – and yet Africa has to rely on imports and food aid to feed itself. Although it is the poorest continent in the world, it spends about $50bn a year buying food from rich countries. Africa will be able to feed itself by 2030 – an ideal that will only be attainable by accelerating the rate of innovation and access to agricultural extension services for smallholder farmers. Sub-Saharan Africa is considered the "youngest" region, although the majority of this younger population remains unemployed and their skills underutilised. Sixty percent of the continent’s unemployed are aged 15-24 years and about 40% of Africa’s workforce is under the age of 23. Science can and should drive transformation of agriculture in Africa. Science contribu...
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