• Food security experts say the adoption of indigenous crops will enhance food security and nutrition.
• The food system is under pressure from non-climate stressors such as population and income growth, demand for animal-sourced products and climate change.
As the devastating impacts of climate change continue to ravage the continent, scientists are now proposing a raft of measures to tame food insecurity.
During the climate change negotiations last month in Dubai, the scientists said the impact of climate change is a grave and mounting threat to people's wellbeing and a healthy planet.
Already, the world faces unavoidable multiple climate hazards over the next two decades with a global warming of 1.5°C (2.7°F).
Increased heatwaves, droughts and floods are exceeding plants and animals tolerance thresholds, driving mass mortalities in species such as trees and corals, scientists say in the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report.
The report says the current food system from production, transport, processing, packaging, storage, retail, consumption, loss and waste has helped to feed the great majority of the world population and supports the livelihoods of more than one billion people.
An estimated 821 million people are, however, undernourished and 151 million children under five stunted. Some 613 million women and girls aged 15 to 49 are suffering from iron deficiency, while two billion adults are overweight or obese.
The food system is under pressure from non-climate stressors such as population and income growth, demand for animal-sourced products and climate change.
These climate and non-climate stresses are impacting the four pillars of food security- availability, access, utilisation and stability.
Food security experts say the adoption of indigenous crops will enhance food security and nutrition.
According to Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization Deputy Director General for crops Dr Felister Makini, indigenous crops are nutritious and more resilient to the impacts of climate change.
“The reason why there is so much interest on these crops is because they are highly nutritious and are drought-tolerant, hence the need to focus and promote them,” she said.
Makini spoke in October 2023 during the second Indigenous Seeds and Food Culture Harvest Fair.
"Seed is a key input in farming and food sovereignty not only in Africa but globally. Its quality, availability, accessibility, affordability and diversity have a positive impact on climate resilience and food sovereignty," she said.
Makini said Kalro is in the process of developing seed systems with focus on African leafy vegetables.
“We have been working on sorghum, millets, cassava, sweet potatoes and African leafy vegetables. We have also developed varieties of cow peas, pigeon peas and green grams," she said.
Makini said research on some of the indigenous crops is quite expensive.
The need to have a resilient food system was also top on the agenda during the climate change negotiations last month in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Africa's food systems lead at the World Wide Fund for Nature-Kenya Nancy Rapando said food systems have been impacted by climate change.
“Food systems are continuously gaining momentum in the COP space. We thought this year it could not have such a level of momentum,” she said.
“There is a need to connect the food, nature, and climate narratives, looking at how climate is impacting food and, as a result, how nature is affected.”
Rapando said the attention the food systems are getting will help build food security and natural resources such as water and land, which are required for food production.
Her institution has been looking at how food is affecting nature.
“When you go to a country like Kenya, we know that as we expand food production systems, even in Africa as a whole, we are actually impacting biodiversity through deforestation. Crop expansion is getting into some of the conservation areas,” Rapando said.
She said countries such as Kenya have a lot of agrochemical use in the horticulture sector, which depends on water, and some of the rivers are within or flowing into conservation areas.
“The reason why we are here [at COP28] is that, as we are pushed by climate, we do not need to be pushed into the natural habitat,” Rapando said.
She said even as countries invest in food, there is a need to protect nature.
During COP28, the presidency elevated agri-food systems to the centre of discussions.
The ‘COP28 UAE Declaration on Agriculture, Food, and Climate,’ embedded sustainable agriculture and food systems in response to climate change. It has received endorsements from 158 countries.
Climate change is also affecting pastoralism, which is practiced in more than 75 per cent of countries by between 200 and 500 million people.
Impacts in pastoral systems include lower pasture and animal productivity, damaged reproductive function and biodiversity loss.
Pastoral system vulnerability is exacerbated by non-climate factors such as land tenure, sedentarisation, changes in traditional institutions, invasive species, lack of markets and conflicts.
Food security and climate change have strong gender and equity dimensions. Worldwide, women play a key role in food security, although regional differences exist.
Empowering women and rights-based approaches to decision-making can create synergies among household food security, adaptation and mitigation.
About 21–37 per cent of total greenhouse gas emissions are attributable to the food system.
These are from agriculture and land use, storage, transport, packaging, processing, retail and consumption.
Within the food system, during the period 2007–2016, the major sources of emissions from the supply side were agricultural production, with crop and livestock activities within the farm gate generating respectively.
The report said consumption of healthy and sustainable diets presents major opportunities for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from food systems and improving health outcomes.
Examples of healthy and sustainable diets are high in coarse grains, pulses, fruits and vegetables, and nuts and seeds; low in energy-intensive animal-sourced and discretionary foods (such as sugary beverages) and with a carbohydrate threshold.
Health is also set to be affected by the impacts of climate change.
Climate-related illnesses, premature deaths, malnutrition in all its forms, and threats to mental health and well-being are increasing.
To avoid mounting loss of life, biodiversity and infrastructure, ambitious, accelerated action is required to adapt to climate change, at the same time as making rapid, deep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.
So far, progress on adaptation is uneven and there are increasing gaps between action taken and what is needed to deal with the increasing risks, the new report finds.
These gaps are largest among lower-income populations.
During the climate talks, ‘COP28 UAE Declaration on Climate and Health,’ was adopted to accelerate the development of climate-resilient, sustainable and equitable health systems.
It has been endorsed by 144 countries.