Decolonizing African agriculture: option or utopia?

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) recently issued the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2024. The report reveals that food insecurity in Africa remains the highest of any region, with rates of hunger that are on the rise. In 2023, 298.4 million people were estimated to have faced hunger, compared with 41.0 million in Latin America and the Caribbean, and 3.3 million in Oceania. This numbers have grown steadily since 2015. There is a clear trend of rising prevalence of undernourishment in Africa, in contrast with other regions like Latin America, the Caribbean and Asia, where progress is being made or nutrition levels remain unchanged.

A new book titled “Decolonizing African Agriculture: Food Security, Agroecology and the Need for Radical Transformation”, notes that the agricultural sector in Africa still today is focused on production of crops that are mostly consumed in former colonial settings. Basically, agricultural production in Africa is oriented to satisfy the prevailing demand from foreign (mostly European) economies. Although African States are aware of this situation, they continue to give priority in their development plans to sectors that aim to primarily serve the demand coming from these markets. An example are tea, coffee and cocoa, which still today represent products largely consumed in foreign markets, but much less so in Africa. It is not surprising that these States prioritize preferential trade relations with former colonial powers over regional or other South-South agreements, often sacrifying the latter. Without these trade relations with former colonial powers, their products would probably not find alternative outlets capable to absorb their production.

The author concludes It's time to try a different way of addressing Africa's food security. Agroecology (farming with nature) is a possible option. Agroecology studies the interactions between different crops, crops and insects, and crops and the soil, in an attempt to find ways to produce more with fewer costly external inputs. It's a more sustainable and cheaper option for Africa. Common examples of agroecological practices in African farming systems are polycropping (or inter-cropping), i.e., planting different complementary crops in the same field, and agroforestry (mixing trees and crops). The latter techique, when practiced sustainably, can also prevent deforestation. Agroecology is a promising option for addressing Africa's worsening food crisis. But African government leaders and donors have been slower to recognize the need for its development. But there are some signs of change... For instance, the African Development Bank recently funded an agroforestry project in the Democratic Republic of Congo to rebuild biodiversity and enhancing livelihoods. This is the way to go. Africa needs more of these initiatives.