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Sample on Challenges of Challenges Facing Food Security in Africa

Challenges of Challenges Facing Food Security in Africa

Africa has been facing widespread problems for many centuries. Two major challenges facing th continent have been how to feed its ever growing population and how to effectively adapt to climate change. The both problems are connected to each other and have pose severe implications on food security in the continent. Food supply can indeed be achieved in Africa, but there are major challenges that have been affecting food security in Africa.

African population has been growing rapidly ever since. Large populations have always led to large demands for food and to meet these high demands, each country should be able to produce insufficient food. Food security is the easiest way to access food by all people for a healthy life. For every country to succeed and meet its food security demands, it should be able to ensure adequacy of food supplies in terms of quantity, quality and variety of the available foods.

On top of this, each country should be able to optimize stability in the flow of supplies and secure sustainable access to all available food supplies within the nation and for all who need the food. Ample food availability at the household level, regional level or national level obtained through several means is the cornerstone of nutritional welfare of the people. Food security cannot be achieved if; the food supplied is not properly processed and stored. In essence, food security is at the top in the rank of the Millennium Development Goals. Nevertheless, there are a number of challenges that face food security in Africa and many other parts of the world. They include;

  • Chronic under-nutrition and nutrition deficiencies have been a challenge facing many people in many African communities. This has been a problem to families that experience inadequate access to food. Malnutrition has led to high rates of death and child illness.
  • National policies on food security and nutrition. The many policies followed by African nations have been a great task in sustaining food security in African despite enjoying national food security; some countries do not achieve adequate consumption for all its populations.
  • Maximized food production and marketed supplies have also influenced food security in the nation. There has been maximization of domestic production leading to supply of staple foods. Fluctuations in the market supply of good have affected state marketing as it is not easy to meet the increasing food demands in urban and rural areas. Agricultural sector has played great roles in generating employment and this has led to establishment of policies that focus on increasing food productivity.
  • Other factors that challenge food security in Africa include migration, ever increasing population and diseases such as HIV/AIDS.
  • Changes in the agricultural sector have also affected food security. Economic situations in African nations have been affected by external economic crisis and recession, but internal policies have favored growth of an expensive public sector.

The African population is expected to double up in a few decades to come and these population demands substantial increase in food supply. The high number of malnourished people in Africa also indicates an increase in the significance of ensuring food security. Governments need to come up with great polices that will not cause an increase in food prices or decrease in yields. African nations should also increase domestic production and reduce any dependence on food imports that can pose a risk in the future. Awareness should also be created on the kind of food products to go for and new methods of farming that will increase yield should carry the day.

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Online sources:

 

http://www.resilience.org/stories/2013-09-26/africa-s-challenge-in-the-21st-century-food-security

http://www.fao.org/docrep/w0078e/w0078e03.htm

http://www.prb.org/Publications/Reports/2012/population-food-security-africa-part1.aspx