Browsing: Food insecurity

Survey and control operations on the ground and by air have been scaled-up.…

With climate and environmental shocks continually threatening food supplies and locusts still ravaging crops in East Africa, the situation could get worse unless adequate and timely attention is given to it.…

Consequences of conflict also mean that the most affected may not be able to return to productivity if land, equipment and other resources used to produce food are destroyed.…

East Africa is facing a serious threat posed by billions of locusts–the most dangerous migratory pests, threatening food security in the region which is also enduring, through climate change, stress impacting food security in Somalia, South Sudan, Kenya and some parts of Tanzania.

According to the Food Security and Nutrition Working Group (FSNWG), East Africa is already being threatened with 19 million people facing acute food insecurity.

In January swarms of locusts made their presence known when they took an Ethiopian plane off course, and invaded Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya and took Uganda and Tanzania in February.

This could be the worst case of locust outbreak over the decades. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), there is an unprecedented threat to food security and livelihoods in the region, as a new swarm is forming and expected in March and April.

UN agronomy experts warned that the wave of locusts …

There are fears that Kenya will soon be facing challenges of food insecurity yet again despite the lack of a coherent plan on addressing this annual occurrence.

Coming at a time when food imports from neighbouring countries are continually increasing, the shilling is weakening making it even worse for millions facing starvation.

This food deficit is not unique to Kenya but it also characterises many African countries stuck in a cycle of inadequate food.

Maputo Declaration on financing agriculture

Ironically, many countries in Africa have vast arable land and a favourable weather. This means that it is easy to sustain agricultural activities. But, there is no political will to make this a reality.

Africa has the potential to feed not only itself but also the world but investments towards agriculture have been limited. Governments have failed to meet the Maputo Declaration on financing agriculture.

In the 2003 declaration, African governments …

Among those who require immediate early action are 10.7 million people across Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia and the Karamoja region in Uganda.…