Climate change is profoundly altering Africa’s food security landscape. Rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, and extreme weather events are disrupting agriculture, the backbone of many African economies. This shift threatens the livelihoods of millions and poses significant challenges to the continent’s future.
Impact on Agriculture
Africa’s agriculture is predominantly rain-fed, making it highly susceptible to climate variability. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports projected that yields from rain-fed agriculture in some African countries could be reduced by up to 50% by 2020.
This decline is evident in regions like Southern Africa, where prolonged droughts have devastated crops. In 2024, Southern Africa faced its worst drought in a century, affecting approximately 27 million people and leading five countries to declare national disasters.
Conversely, some areas experience intense flooding. In 2024, eastern Senegal witnessed unprecedented floods that submerged over 16,000 hectares of farmland, destroying essential crops like onions, okra, and rice. This disaster impacted more than 200,000 people in the region.
Food Insecurity
The consequences of these climatic events are blunt. The United Nations’ World Food Program (WFP) indicates that more than 40 million people in West and Central Africa are currently facing food insecurity, with projections rising to 52 million by mid-next year. This crisis is driven by a combination of conflict, economic instability, and severe climate events.
A report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) indicates that climate change is intensifying food insecurity across sub-Saharan Africa, with lasting adverse effects on economic growth and poverty. The number of people suffering from high malnutrition and unable to meet basic food consumption needs has increased by at least 30% to 123 million in 2022.
Policy Support
As the situation escalates, International support is critical. At the 2022 UN Climate Change Conference (COP27), wealthy nations pledged USD 230million to the Adaptation Fund, which helps vulnerable countries adapt to climate change. But this is a drop in the ocean compared to the USD 50 billion Africa needs annually to address the crisis. “The pledges are welcome, but they’re not enough,” says Mohamed Adow, Director of Power Shift Africa, a climate think tank. “Africa needs funding, technology transfer, and capacity building to tackle this crisis.”
The stakes could not be higher. By 2050, Africa’s population is expected to double to 2.5 billion, increasing demand for food. Without urgent action, the continent risks a future of widespread hunger, displacement, and conflict. Adow stated that the time to act is now. Climate change is redefining Africa’s food security, and the window to avert disaster is closing. The choices made today will determine whether millions can feed themselves tomorrow.
Policy and Support
Building climate-resilient food systems is important. The World Bank states the importance of protecting farmers and building their crops’ resilience to climate change as paramount on the food security agenda.Lesley Ndlovu, CEO of the African Risk Capacity Group (ARC), explains the role of insurance in disaster risk financing. ARC employs parametric insurance, issuing rapid payouts based on set rainfall deviations during droughts, floods, or cyclones.
Over the past decade, ARC has paid over $170 million in claims, aiding countries like Malawi in providing relief to hundreds of thousands of households following severe droughts.
Impacts and Adaptation Strategies
In Burkina Faso, the revitalization of a green belt project around Ouagadougou aims to combat desertification and promote urban agriculture. Spanning 2,000 hectares, this initiative supports residents in growing crops like cabbage, onion, lettuce, and papaya, offering both livelihood and food sources. The project also seeks to alleviate challenging conditions by transitioning individuals from laborious stone collection to farming. In Ethiopia, farmers are using drought-resistant seeds to grow teff, a staple grain. In Malawi, solar-powered irrigation systems are helping farmers water their crops during dry spells. And in Kenya, mobile apps like iCow provide farmers with real-time weather forecasts and farming tips.
“Technology is key to building resilience,” says Dr. Agnes Kalibata, President of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). “But it must be accessible and affordable for smallholder farmers, who produce 80% of Africa’s food.”Despite these efforts, significant challenges remain. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warns that by 2050, climate change could reduce mean yields for 11 main world crops by 15% in Sub-Saharan Africa. Pushing for urgency for comprehensive adaptation strategies.
Furthermore, a report by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) indicates that human-induced climate change has resulted in 77.6% of Earth’s land masses becoming permanently drier from 1990 to 2020. This aridity leads to various adverse effects, including GDP loss, forced migration, and worsening wildfires, all of which exacerbate food insecurity in Africa. “Climate change is a threat multiplier,” says Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank. “It exacerbates existing challenges like poverty, inequality, and conflict. If we don’t act now, the consequences will be catastrophic.”
The situation is particularly dire in the Sahel, a semi-arid region stretching across Africa just south of the Sahara. Here, temperatures are rising 1.5 times faster than the global average. The result is desertification, where fertile land turns to desert, making farming nearly impossible. The ripple effects are felt across the continent. Food prices are soaring, pushing millions into poverty. In Nigeria, the cost of rice has increased by 30% in the past year. In Somalia, where drought has persisted for five consecutive seasons, over 1.8 million children are acutely malnourished.
Governments and organizations are scrambling to respond. The African Union’s Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) aims to boost agricultural productivity and resilience. But progress has been slow. Only nine African countries have met the target of allocating 10% of their national budgets to agriculture.
