Collective Efforts Key to Ending Hunger in Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa faces significant challenges in achieving food security, with many of its population unable to afford a healthy diet due to factors such as climate change, poverty, rapid population growth, low economic growth, inadequate infrastructure, and conflicts, writes Helen Onyeaka for The Conversation Africa.

Women, who play a critical role in agricultural labor, encounter limited access to resources, exacerbating food insecurity. However, various initiatives and projects across the region, such as community-led sanitation in Senegal, agricultural transformation in Rwanda, cash transfer programs in Malawi, conservation agriculture in Zambia, and smallholder farmer programs in Ethiopia, have shown promising results in promoting the right to food and enhancing food security.

These projects emphasize community-based approaches, support from governments through direct cash transfers, and climate-smart practices. Moving forward, governments must recognize the right to food as a fundamental human right and work collaboratively with communities to establish equitable and sustainable food systems, incorporating traditional knowledge and innovative technologies to tackle climate change and improve food access for all.