Change Language

Chapter 6 – The Codependence between Nutrition, Resilience and Sustainable Food Systems

Key Messages

1
Although Africa has high levels of malnutrition, child stunting reduced from 38 percent in 2000 to 30 percent in 2018. However, Africa still has the highest prevalence rates of stunting, anemia, and hungry people.
2
Key barriers include overreliance on subsistence farming and correspondingly insufficient specialization, low investment in agricultural R&D&E services, low use (and low efficiency in the use) of modern agricultural technologies and sustainable farming practices.
3
African governments can invest more in agricultural R&D to develop pro-nutrition seed varieties that are appropriate for local conditions and consumer preferences and sustainably raise productivity in staple and micronutrient-dense crops and livestock production.
4
African governments can promote sustainable production practices through increased investment in agricultural R&D&E to sustainably raise productivity of staple and micronutrient- dense crops and livestock.
5
Developing livestock and fisheries sectors, especially small-scale livestock and fish production systems, with breeds that are resilient to extreme heat and diseases would reduce these value chains’ vulnerability to climate shocks and increase farm revenues and consumption of animal- sourced foods.
6
Governments can use public health campaigns and subsidies to incentivize consumers to purchase healthy foods; resulting changes in consumer demand can drive new investments by the private sector to respond to the increasing demand for healthy foods