Addressing Climate Change’s Impact on Africa’s Food Security and Sovereignty
As the climate crisis accelerates, its impacts extend far beyond melting glaciers and rising sea levels. One of the more insidious threats, particularly for Africa, is the growing prevalence of foodborne diseases. These invisible dangers, exacerbated by climate change, threaten food security and sovereignty across the continent.
While Africa contributes minimally to global greenhouse gas emissions, the continent disproportionately suffers the impacts of climate change including drought and unpredictable rains, where agriculture remains the backbone of many economies and livelihoods and hunger is a persistent threat to life.
As we observe World Food Month, it is important to address the pressing issue of food security in Africa—a continent where millions face hunger despite its agricultural abundance. In fact, according to World Vision, approximately 20% of the population is undernourished, with 57 million more people facing hunger since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Food security is defined as the condition in which people have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food. However, food security alone cannot address the systemic inequalities that drive hunger and the corporatised food systems that exclude the most vulnerable populations. The rising incidence of foodborne diseases highlights that hunger is not just a matter of availability; it also involves ensuring that food is safe for consumption.
Rising global temperatures and increasingly unpredictable weather patterns create optimal conditions for foodborne pathogens to thrive. In warmer climates, bacteria like Salmonella and E. coli multiply faster, while mycotoxin-producing fungi, such as Aspergillus, spread across crops. Floods, droughts, and heatwaves disrupt traditional farming systems, contaminating water supplies and irrigated fields. This can also cause cross contamination, as flood water may contain sewage, animal waste, and other pollutants with harmful bacteria and viruses.
Farmers face significant challenges in harvesting crops at an optimal dew point to avoid fungal contamination, as excess moisture encourages the growth of toxic fungi that can compromise food safety. One Kenyan farmer, Veronica, mentioned how erratic rains have impacted her ability to harvest crops at the right time. Too much rainfall, often unpredictable, leads to challenges in preventing moisture accumulation, which can contribute to fungal growth. She, like many farmers, has had to adapt her farming practices in an effort to manage these new realities, but moisture-related issues still pose a significant risk.
Inadequate sanitation and limited infrastructure aggravate these risks. If left unchecked, the rise in foodborne diseases will erode Africa’s already fragile food systems and security, pushing millions further into hunger and malnutrition.
This year’s theme: “Right to foods for a better life and a better future” calls for innovative solutions that safeguard food systems and ensure everyone has access to safe, nutritious food.
To build food systems that provide access and nutrition, we must address the climate crisis head-on. Climate change doesn’t only increase hunger through droughts and crop failures; it also makes the food we do manage to grow unsafe. Foodborne diseases can devastate human health and the economic foundation of smallholder farmers, particularly in communities already grappling with food insecurity.
Innovative agricultural techniques can help mitigate these risks. For instance, adopting drought-tolerant or disease-resistant crop varieties can increase resilience in farming. However, these solutions must be paired with improved water management systems to prevent excess moisture that can encourage fungal growth. Implementing practices such as drip irrigation can help manage water efficiently, limiting the risk of contamination.
Additionally, integrated pest management (IPM) and crop rotation can minimise reliance on chemical treatments, further reducing contamination risks. Soil management practices, such as adding organic mulch, can retain moisture at ideal levels without creating conditions conducive to mould or fungal diseases. Moreover, adopting post-harvest strategies like drying and proper storage can prevent crops from accumulating dangerous moisture levels, significantly reducing the risk of mycotoxins. While these methods can contribute to building resilience in small-scale farming, ultimately there is a massive need for all sectors of society to make efforts to mitigate climate change. These fixes may work in the short term, but with increased vulnerability and unpredictability, large-scale climate action must take place, in addition to these changes in farming methods.
According to a study on community food gardens in Johannesburg, South Africa, by capacitating local communities to reclaim their food systems and encouraging local ownership, production, and distribution of their own food, access to adequate, nutritious, and culturally appropriate food will improve. This dual approach is crucial as climate change increasingly threatens both food production and safety.
This World Food Month, we are reminded of the urgent need to tackle the interconnected challenges of climate change and foodborne diseases. By promoting sustainable agricultural practices and addressing climate change, we can build resilient food systems that meet Africa’s food needs and uphold the continent’s sovereignty over its food resources, while also ensuring a sustainable future for the continent.