About this Research Topic
The African continent currently accounts for more than half of potentially available (unused arable) land on the planet. Unused land means that it is not currently under cropping use. Yet, many countries on the continent face various dimensions of food insecurity every year. In addition to this, the continent is a net food importer, with more than 35 percent of food consumed, including cereal, pulses, grains and fruits, coming from outside the continent. The value of food imports has more than doubled between 2000 and 2019 rising from US$31.6 billion to US$75.8 billion over this period. The food import index, over this period, confirms the growing reliance of the continent on imported food.
The growing reliance on imported food in Africa suggests that the continent is increasingly losing control over the food it consumes, a situation which makes the continent more vulnerable to logistic and external supply shocks. This became evident when the war in Ukraine started with many countries on the continent experiencing extensive food shortages and sharp increases in food prices, pushing millions of people into conditions of food insecurity. Though the increase in food prices because of the Russia-Ukraine war was a global phenomenon, its impact was more severely felt on the African continent than anywhere else. In this volume we deliberately use the concept of food sovereignty to draw attention to the fact that although the continent has the potential to produce sufficient food to feed the entire African population, it does not have full control over the food supply system. This volume seeks to discuss and explain some of the factors which account for the seemingly paradoxical situation. Suggestions on how to improve the use of land available to increase food sovereignty on the continent will be discussed in this volume. Policies that can contribute to improving the productivity of land and labor are highlighted. Improving the use of available land is one of the factors that can contribute to increasing food sovereignty on the continent. Climate change, including droughts and floods, and the shrinking of arable land constitute further threats to food sovereignty in Africa. Conversely, increase in food production to meet the growing population on the continent can also contribute to mitigating climate change. The concept of food sovereignty incorporates the ideal of using resources sustainably.
This Research Topic welcomes article submissions on the following topics, (but is not limited to):
• Patterns of land use in Africa and how this impacts food production, including crop yields.
• Food production trends, focusing on staple foods for the different regions of the continent.
• The role of land and agricultural policies in promoting food sovereignty in Africa
• External factors which impact the status of food sovereignty in Africa
• Factors behind the rising food imports and food prices on the continent
• The meaning and implications of food sovereignty for Africa.
• Policy and strategic measures which can contribute to increasing food sovereignty on the continent.
• Gender dimensions of food sovereignty in Africa
• Food sovereignty and resource use sustainability
• Climate change and threats to food sovereignty in Africa
The growing reliance on imported food in Africa suggests that the continent is increasingly losing control over the food it consumes, a situation which makes the continent more vulnerable to logistic and external supply shocks. This became evident when the war in Ukraine started with many countries on the continent experiencing extensive food shortages and sharp increases in food prices, pushing millions of people into conditions of food insecurity. Though the increase in food prices because of the Russia-Ukraine war was a global phenomenon, its impact was more severely felt on the African continent than anywhere else. In this volume we deliberately use the concept of food sovereignty to draw attention to the fact that although the continent has the potential to produce sufficient food to feed the entire African population, it does not have full control over the food supply system. This volume seeks to discuss and explain some of the factors which account for the seemingly paradoxical situation. Suggestions on how to improve the use of land available to increase food sovereignty on the continent will be discussed in this volume. Policies that can contribute to improving the productivity of land and labor are highlighted. Improving the use of available land is one of the factors that can contribute to increasing food sovereignty on the continent. Climate change, including droughts and floods, and the shrinking of arable land constitute further threats to food sovereignty in Africa. Conversely, increase in food production to meet the growing population on the continent can also contribute to mitigating climate change. The concept of food sovereignty incorporates the ideal of using resources sustainably.
This Research Topic welcomes article submissions on the following topics, (but is not limited to):
• Patterns of land use in Africa and how this impacts food production, including crop yields.
• Food production trends, focusing on staple foods for the different regions of the continent.
• The role of land and agricultural policies in promoting food sovereignty in Africa
• External factors which impact the status of food sovereignty in Africa
• Factors behind the rising food imports and food prices on the continent
• The meaning and implications of food sovereignty for Africa.
• Policy and strategic measures which can contribute to increasing food sovereignty on the continent.
• Gender dimensions of food sovereignty in Africa
• Food sovereignty and resource use sustainability
• Climate change and threats to food sovereignty in Africa
Keywords: food sovereignty, food security, Africa, land, food production, food imports, agricultural policies, gender, land policies, staple foods, food prices, crop yields, land use
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
