What should Africa do to ensure its food sovereignty?

The period opened by the covid-19 pandemic has brought the issue of food sovereignty of the African continent to the forefront. Indeed, food prices have increased in real terms by 26 points between 2020 and 2021 and, with the consequences of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, by 16.5 points between 2021 and 2022. For the 36 African countries that the FAO classifies as low-income food-deficit countries, this situation has resulted in higher food imports, made even more painful by the depreciation of the exchange rate of their currencies against a U.S. dollar that has consolidated its status of save haven currency. With limited foreign exchange reserves and fiscal space, African governments have turned to the International Monetary Fund, which invariably requires them to reduce or eliminate energy and food subsidies in exchange for its ‘assistance”. Under such conditions, it is not surprising that some countries in the Sahel and the Horn of Africa are in the grip of a food crisis, while others are experiencing food riots.

What should be the responses of African countries to the current crisis? What practical steps should be taken towards food sovereignty on the continent? How could the African continental free trade area (AfCFTA) facilitate or not the food sovereignty of the continent? What policies should be put in place regarding access to land? Are there examples on the continent or elsewhere that could serve as a model for food policy? What about initiatives such as ARGA (Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa)?

These questions will be addressed during the webinar of December 12, 2022, 14:00-17:00 GMT.

With the participation of Ange David Baïmey (GRAIN), Chair; Ruth Nyambura (No REDD in Africa), Habib Ayeb(Observatoire de la Souveraineté Alimentaire et de l’Environnement), Freedom Mazwi (Sam Moyo African Institute for Agrarian Studies), Rokhaya Daba Fall (Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research Institutes), George Tonderai Mudimu (Collective of Agrarian Scholar- Activists from the South), Diery Gaye (Cadre National de Concertation et de Coopération des Ruraux).