Dateline Africa
A focus on the food-security crisis
By Martin Nicol
1 June 2023 to 30 September 2024
This Special Issue of New Agenda focuses on food systems in Africa amid the current and worsening food security crisis resulting from a multiplicity of causes, some of which stem from the historical roots of colonialism and land dispossession. More recently, food security on the continent has been severely further undermined predominantly by two factors: Firstly, climate change – which is hitting Africa most severely although it is the continent least responsible for it – has directly and indirectly caused weather catastrophes and ongoing chronic depletion of agricultural resources, severely impacting nutrition levels, especially among children. Secondly, in many countries violent instability in the form of large-scale abductions, mounting atrocious attacks by Islamic extremist forces, civil war and generalised widespread violence between armed gangs and, in places, farmers and nomadic pastoralists, have led to the disruption of farming cycles and the displacement of millions of civilians, driving many across borders and into refugee camps where they are dependent on food aid and increasingly food insecure. This issue of New Agenda has been published in partnership with Food Systems Research Network for Africa (FSNet-Africa), which is committed to finding solution to these challenges that translate into tangible outcomes and impact. Their inclusive, innovative transdisciplinary methodology embraces academic and non-academic stakeholders, including farmers at the cutting edge of implementation. IFAA is proud to be associated with this initiative and our regular Dateline Africa column in this issue is dedicated to food-related issues.