Page 36 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 16

Community

Processing of local rice by a
women’s cooperative
in Dioro, Mali.
Photo: FAO/Michela Paganini

FOOD SOVEREIGNTY

Is Africa’s Only Solution To Climate Chaos

Originally Published by Grain.org

while doing little to effectively billion to 1.7 billion over the next
Link to original publication:
https://grain.org/en/article/6293-food-sover- challenge the corporations that are decade.[1] But, as this demand for
eignty-is-africa-s-only-solution-to-climate-chaos dumping surplus food commodities, food surges ahead, the increasing
driving up global greenhouse gas effects of climate change will make
emissions and destroying biodiver- food production on the continent
sity. Now, movements for climate more difficult. Estimates are that
he convergence of the justice and African food produc- global warming could cause a 10%
climate crisis and rising ers must urgently join forces to - 20% reduction in Africa’s overall
food imports in Africa is eliminate the dependence on food food production.
Ta recipe for catastrophe. imports and realise food sovereignty
Unless actions are taken to build across the continent to respond to If nothing is done to reverse course,
up local food systems and reverse the climate crisis. Africa’s food imports will soar. The
the growing reliance on imports of African Development Bank expects
cereals and other staple foods, there For Africa, the climate crisis is that Africa’s net food imports will
will be multiple and more severe triple between now and 2025, reach-
repeats of the 2007-8 food crisis a food crisis ing over $110 billion.[3] The United
that caused food riots across the Nations predicts that Africa may
continent. African governments and Africa’s food forecast over the next only produce just 13% of its food
donors have wasted the past decade decades is troubling. The continent needs by 2050.
on failed programmes and policies will need more food to cope with a African countries are already well
to support corporate agribusiness growing population that the United
Nations projects will rise from 1.2 aware of how vulnerable this depen-

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