Africa's Young People Powerful in Shaping Food Systems

As the year 2030 looms and just seven years remain to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, nearly three-quarters of a billion people are unable to exercise their right to adequate food. This is according to the 2023 Global Hunger Index (GHI) report which shows that after many years of advancement up to 2015, progress against hunger worldwide remains largely at a standstill.

The report points out that 9 countries have alarming levels of hunger: Burundi, Central African Republic, DR Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Niger, Somalia, South Sudan, and Yemen. In a further 34 countries, hunger is considered serious. Malawi is at number 88 out of 125 as a country that will face serious hunger as well as nutrition issues.

This report spotlights the experiences of youth and highlights the need for young people in their diversity to play a central role in shaping the systems of today for a sustainable, equitable, and resilient future. It also considers how current food systems are failing young people. It notes that today's youth are poised to inherit food systems that are unsustainable, inequitable, non-inclusive, and increasingly vulnerable to the dangerous effects of climate change.