Posted on September, 04 2024

The Growing Strain on Africa’s Natural Capital
 
Africa’s food systems are deeply intertwined with its natural capital—forests, wetlands, and savannas that provide essential resources for agriculture. But as demand for food rises, driven by population growth, urbanization, and a burgeoning middle class, these ecosystems are being pushed to their limits. Cropland expansion, particularly by smallholder farmers, is encroaching on high biodiversity areas, leading to habitat loss and species decline.
 
“The expansion of cropland is driven mainly by the need to meet domestic food demands,” explains Nancy Rapando of WWF Africa. “But without sustainable practices, this expansion could lead to irreversible damage to our ecosystems.”
 
Food Systems: A Double-Edged Sword for Climate Change
 
Agriculture is both a contributor to and a victim of climate change. In Africa, changes in rainfall and temperature are already impacting agricultural productivity. Meanwhile, food production contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, primarily through land use changes. As mechanization and the use of fertilizers increase, so do emissions from agriculture.
 
Yet, there’s a silver lining. “There are opportunities to transform our food systems using renewable energy and nature-positive practices that enhance biodiversity,” says Kristin Davis of IFPRI. “But we need to act now to steer away from business as usual.”
The Path Forward: Six Calls to Action
 
To address these challenges, Rapando and Davis propose a series of actions aimed at transforming Africa’s food systems into a force for good—one that benefits people, climate, and biodiversity.
 

1. Protect Africa’s Complex Agricultural Landscapes: Africa’s agricultural areas are rich in biodiversity. By taking an ecosystem-centered approach, we can enhance food production while preserving the natural environment. This requires increasing the complexity of agricultural landscapes to improve ecosystem services, which will, in turn, boost food system performance.

 

2. Reform Food Production Practices: Current agricultural practices often exceed sustainable limits, particularly in fertilizer and land use. To secure food production for the future, African farmers need to adopt sustainable practices like agroforestry, which integrates trees into farming systems, enhancing both biodiversity and carbon storage.

 
 

3. Engage in Strategic Land Use Planning: Agricultural investments near key biodiversity areas must be managed carefully to avoid further environmental damage. Strategic land use planning that balances food production with biodiversity conservation is essential.

 

4. Tackle Food Demand and Consumption: Despite producing enough food globally, Africa still faces a hunger crisis, exacerbated by food waste and unhealthy diets. Reducing food waste, promoting recycling, and encouraging dietary shifts are critical steps in reducing the food system’s environmental footprint.

 
 

5. Harmonize Policies Across Sectors: African policymakers must align agricultural, climate, and biodiversity policies to create a coherent strategy for food systems transformation. This includes integrating biodiversity protection into agricultural policies and ensuring that climate resilience efforts protect the natural resources vital for food production.

 

6. Recognize Agriculture’s Multifunctional Role: Agriculture provides more than just food—it delivers social, cultural, economic, and environmental benefits. Assessing agricultural performance through this broader lens will help guide necessary changes toward more sustainable food systems.

 
A Call for Urgent Action
 
The stakes couldn’t be higher. As Rapando and Davis stress, transforming Africa’s food systems is not just about feeding people today—it’s about ensuring that future generations can thrive in a world where nature and agriculture coexist sustainably.
 
“We need to rethink how we produce and consume food,” says Rapando. “The future of Africa’s food systems depends on it.”