Owing to population growth, food demand in SSA is expected to increase by 60%
in the next decades (Fan and Brzeska 2016). For example, maize demand in the
region is expected to triple by 2050 (Ekpa et al. 2018). In general, the high poverty,
population growth, severe land degradation, climate change, trade imbalances, weak
institutions, low investment in agriculture and poor infrastructure are some of the
main interrelated challenges for ensuring food security in SSA as discussed below
(Webber et al. 2014; UNECA 2017; Onyutha 2018a, b).
When it comes to the agricultural sector, some of the many interrelated challenges
for enabling the production of sufficient amounts of food include the inadequate
access to productive inputs, constraining legal and land policy frameworks and
environmental change (Fan et al. 2013). For example, increasing food production,
while avoiding environmental degradation, remains a formidable challenges for
many SSA countries (Fan and Brzeska 2016; IPBES 2018) (see also Sect. 1.2.15),
not only for meeting the growing food demand in absolute terms but also for coping
with the evolving consumer preferences (Ortega and Tschirley 2017). Environmental change is increasingly exerting a huge pressure to the agricultural sector across
the continent, affecting yields and the availability of critical inputs such as irrigation
water (Xie et al. 2014). This was particularly evident during the recent 2015–2016 El
Niño event which induced the worst drought in the last 30 years, leading to massive
crop failures and livestock deaths across the continent (Rembold et al. 2016; FAO
2016). This forced many countries, especially in southern Africa, to divert resources
from development projects to emergency food aid for the drought victims (FAO
2016).
Other challenges stem from systemic issues, such as the fact that agricultural
production is dominated by smallholder subsistence farmers that often lack the
financial capacity, knowledge and skills to invest in the agricultural sector and
unleash its vast potential (Kuivanen et al. 2016). Furthermore, the inadequate access
Fig. 1.5 Child stunting rates for SSA and selected countries (in %)
1 Sustainability Challenges in Sub-Saharan Africa in the Context of the. . .
11
in the next decades (Fan and Brzeska 2016). For example, maize demand in the
region is expected to triple by 2050 (Ekpa et al. 2018). In general, the high poverty,
population growth, severe land degradation, climate change, trade imbalances, weak
institutions, low investment in agriculture and poor infrastructure are some of the
main interrelated challenges for ensuring food security in SSA as discussed below
(Webber et al. 2014; UNECA 2017; Onyutha 2018a, b).
When it comes to the agricultural sector, some of the many interrelated challenges
for enabling the production of sufficient amounts of food include the inadequate
access to productive inputs, constraining legal and land policy frameworks and
environmental change (Fan et al. 2013). For example, increasing food production,
while avoiding environmental degradation, remains a formidable challenges for
many SSA countries (Fan and Brzeska 2016; IPBES 2018) (see also Sect. 1.2.15),
not only for meeting the growing food demand in absolute terms but also for coping
with the evolving consumer preferences (Ortega and Tschirley 2017). Environmental change is increasingly exerting a huge pressure to the agricultural sector across
the continent, affecting yields and the availability of critical inputs such as irrigation
water (Xie et al. 2014). This was particularly evident during the recent 2015–2016 El
Niño event which induced the worst drought in the last 30 years, leading to massive
crop failures and livestock deaths across the continent (Rembold et al. 2016; FAO
2016). This forced many countries, especially in southern Africa, to divert resources
from development projects to emergency food aid for the drought victims (FAO
2016).
Other challenges stem from systemic issues, such as the fact that agricultural
production is dominated by smallholder subsistence farmers that often lack the
financial capacity, knowledge and skills to invest in the agricultural sector and
unleash its vast potential (Kuivanen et al. 2016). Furthermore, the inadequate access
Fig. 1.5 Child stunting rates for SSA and selected countries (in %)
1 Sustainability Challenges in Sub-Saharan Africa in the Context of the. . .
11