Back to all African Modules

African Unit 5

Food Production and Food Security in Sub-Saharan Africa

Name: Papa N'jai

College: Muskegon Community College

Discipline: Geography, Social Sciences

Module Title: “Food Production and Food Security in Sub-Saharan Africa”

Narrative Description of the Module: This module focuses on food production and food security in sub-Saharan Africa. Eradicating poverty and hunger was one of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs, 1999-2015). The MDGs have been replaced by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); achieving “Zero Hunger” is one of the central goals of the SDGs. Unlike Asia and Latin America, achieving food security in sub-Saharan Africa has been an uphill challenge. The United Nations estimates that Africa’s population will rise to two billion by the middle of the century. Approximately, 200 million sub-Saharan Africans currently lack adequate food. The skyrocketing food prices, high population growth rates, and drought (caused in part by global warming) are driving more people into destitution and hunger. To feed a population that is growing at a rate of 3 per cent per year, a minimum food production target of 5 per cent per year must be achieved during the next two decades.

The module will examine the natural, historical, political, cultural and economic forces that shaped the region’s agriculture. This will include looking at the farm size, the quality of sub-Saharan Africa’s arable land (soils), land ownership, the nature of subsistence agriculture, and the small but growing influence of commercial farming. Why is food production in much of sub-Saharan Africa so low? What are the solutions?

To answer these questions, the module will examine the multiple barriers to agricultural food production and food security. Here we will look at the poor technology, lack of fertilizers, drought, civil wars, climate change, lack of modern irrigation techniques, poor infrastructure (modes of transportation and communication), lack of modern storage facilities, limited agro-processing industries, weak public policy, lack of investment, poor inter-regional trade within Africa, etc. Finally, the module will put forward several strategies for fixing region’s food crisis.

Educational Objectives of the Module
Students will:
    1. Understand the complex forces that shaped and still continue to influence sub-Saharan Africa's agriculture
    2. Analyze the multiple barriers preventing sub-Saharan Africa from achieving food self-sufficiency
    3. Demonstrate an understanding of the key features of food security: Food availability, food access and food utilization.
    4. Examine the history of the green revolution and how sub-Saharan Africa can benefit from it.
      1. Why the green revolution succeeded in Asia and Latin America but failed in sub-Saharan Africa.
      2. How Africa can make it succeed.
    5. Demonstrate an understanding of the following potential solutions for food productions and food security.
      1. National and regional solutions for food production and food security.
      2. The future of agribusinesses in sub-Saharan Africa.
      3. International trade (with other world regions) and intra-African trade.
      4. The role of agro-processing industries in Africa.
      5. Gender empowerment.
      6. The role of the World Bank and other international non-governmental agencies
Detailed outline of main themes (with accompanying content notes) to be included in the Lectures/Discussions Used to Implement the Module
  • First Lecture: Discuss the geography of agriculture: Farming systems, types of agriculture, and the reasons for food insecurity in sub-Saharan Africa.
  • Second Lecture: Lecture will focus on searching for practical solutions. The lectures will include small group discussions.
Listing of Audio-Visuals Used to Implement the Module (provide electronic links to sites where they can be accessed)
  1. The Green Revolution and the Growth of African Agriculture lecture series at Stanford University sponsored by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
  2. Ray Suarez (PBS) and USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah discuss the initiative to lift millions out of poverty and hunger through farming partnerships: PBS Newshour
Student Readings (links to sites where readings can be accessed electronically or by purchase)
  1. Food and Agriculture, chapter 10 in Rubenstein, James M. The Cultural Landscape: An Introduction to Human Geography, 11th Edition, Pearson Education Inc. NJ: Upper Saddle River, 2016.
  2. Espenshade, Edward B. Goode’s World Atlas, 21th edition. Rand McNally, 2016.
  3. Amalu, U. C. Food security: sustainable food production in Sub-Saharan Africa. Outlook on Agriculture, 31(3), 177–185, 2002.
  4. Drimie, S., and Casale, M. Multiple stressors in Southern Africa: the link between HIV/AIDS, food insecurity, poverty and children’s vulnerability now and in the future. Aids Care-Psychological and Socio-Medical Aspects of AIDS/HIV, 21, 28–33, 2009.
  5. Clover, J. Food security in sub-Saharan Africa. African Security Studies, 12(1), 5–15, 2003.
  6. Devereux, S. Why does famine persist in Africa? Food Security, 1(1), 25–35, 2009.
  7. Negin, Joel et al. Integrating a broader notion of food security and gender empowerment into the African Green Revolution. International Society for Plant Pathology, June 2009.
  8. Prabhu, Pingali. Green Revolution: Impacts, limits, and the path ahead. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 109(31): 12302-12308, 2012.
  9. Shiferaw, B., Hellin, J., & Muricho, G. Improving market access and agricultural productivity growth in Africa: what role for producer organizations and collective action institutions? Food Security, 1–15, 2011.
  10. Vaishnav, Thakurdas. Increasing food production in sub-Saharan Africa through farmer-managed small-scale irrigation development. Ambio, Vol. 23, No. 8, pp. 524-526, 1994.
  11. Yibo Luan & Xuefeng Cui & Marion Ferrat. Historical trends of food self-sufficiency in Africa. Food Security, 5:393–405, 2013.
Writing/Field/Experiential Assignments Used to Implement the Module
  1. Students will be assigned appropriate journal articles for them to read and write a short 3-4 page reflection paper.
  2. A class mapping project: Students will be given blank maps to map the climatic zones in sub-Saharan Africa, and the different types of agriculture practiced across the continent. This simple spatial analysis project will enable students to know the relationship between rainfall, and the many different types of agricultural systems that we see in sub-Saharan Africa.
Student Evaluation/Testing Regarding the Module
  1. An assignment/reflection paper and class presentation that focuses on the problems and the search for practical solutions to food insecurity in sub-Saharan Africa.
  2. Test will draw from the lectures, class discussions, assigned readings and videos.
  3. Each student will be assigned grades for the homework and the test
Resources (Bibliography) Used to Develop-Implement the Module (where feasible provide links to where resources can be accessed electronically)
  1. Textbooks
    1. Food and Agriculture, chapter 10 in Rubenstein, James M. The Cultural Landscape: An Introduction to Human Geography, 11th Edition, Pearson Education Inc. NJ: Upper Saddle River, 2016.
    2. Espenshade, Edward B. Goode’s World Atlas, 21th edition. Rand McNally, 2016.
  2. Journal Articles and Reports
    1. Agricultural mechanization in Africa… Time for action. FAO, Rome, Italy, 2008.
    2. Africa can help feed Africa: Removing barriers to regional trade in food staples. World Bank, 2012.
    3. Causing Hunger an overview of the food crisis in Africa, Oxfam Briefing Paper, July 2006.
    4. Amalu, U. C. Food security: sustainable food production in Sub-Saharan Africa. Outlook on Agriculture, 31(3), 177–185, 2002.
    5. Baro, Mamadou and Deubel, Tara F. Persistent Hunger: Perspectives on Vulnerability, Famine and Food Security in Sub-Saharan Africa. Annual Review of Anthropology 35: 521-38, 2006.
    6. Binswanger-Mkhize, Hans P., et al. The growing opportunities for African Agricultural development. Conference Working Paper 16, Accra, Ghana, December 2011.
    7. Bremmer, Jason. Population and food security: Africa’s challenge. Population Reference Bureau, Washington DC, 2012.
    8. Brooks, Karen, et al. Agriculture as a Sector of Opportunity for Young People in Africa. World Bank. Washington DC, 2012.
    9. Clover, J. Food security in sub-Saharan Africa. African Security Studies, 12(1), 5–15, 2003.
    10. Devereux, S. Why does famine persist in Africa? Food Security, 1(1), 25–35, 2009.
    11. Drimie, S., and Casale, M. Multiple stressors in Southern Africa: the link between HIV/AIDS, food insecurity, poverty and children’s vulnerability now and in the future. Aids Care-Psychological and Socio-Medical Aspects of AIDS/HIV, 21, 28–33, 2009.
    12. Engel, Jakob, et al. The history, impact and political economy of barriers to food trade in sub-Saharan Africa: an analytical review. World Bank Report, 2012.
    13. Food Security and Agricultural Development in Sub-Saharan Africa: Building a case for more public support, FAO and NEPAD, 2006.
    14. Hazel, Peter B. R. The Asian Green Revolution. The International Food Policy Research Institute, 2009.
    15. Luan, Yibo, et al. Historical trends of food self-sufficiency in Africa. Food Security, 5:393–405, 2013.
    16. The African Food Crisis: Lessons from the Asian Green Revolution, London, CABI Publishing, 2005.
    17. The Special challenge for sub-Saharan Africa, FAO, Italy, Oxfam, 2012.
    18. Regional overview of food insecurity: African food insecurity prospects brighter than ever. Accra, FAO, 2015.
    19. The Challenges of agricultural production and food security in Africa: A report of the proceedings of an international conference organized by the African Leadership forum. Ota, Nigeria, 1989.
    20. Negin, Joel et al. Integrating a broader notion of food security and gender empowerment into the African Green Revolution. International Society for Plant Pathology, June 2009.
    21. Porter, J.R., et al. Food security and food production systems. In: Climate Change: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA, pp. 485-533, 2014.
    22. Pedro A. Sanchez. En route to plentiful food production in Africa. Nature Plants| Vol. 1. Pages 1-2.| January 2015.
    23. Prabhu, Pingali. Green Revolution: Impacts, limits, and the path ahead. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 109(31): 12302-12308, 2012.
    24. Sasson, Albert. Food security for Africa: an urgent global challenge. Agriculture & Food Security 1:2, 2012.
    25. Scoones, Ian. Can GM crops prevent famine in Africa? In The New Famines Routledge, NY: 312-336, 2007.
    26. Shiferaw, B., et al. Improving market access and agricultural productivity growth in Africa: what role for producer organizations and collective action institutions? Food Security, 1–15, 2011.
    27. Smith, Lisa C., et al. The geography and causes of food insecurity in developing nations Agriculture Economics 22: 199-215, 2000.
    28. The African Food Crisis: Lessons from the Asian Green Revolution, London, CABI Publishing, 2005
    29. Vaishnav, Thakurdas. Increasing food production in sub-Saharan Africa through farmer-managed small-scale irrigation development. Ambio, Vol. 23, No. 8, pp. 524-526, 1994.
    30. Yibo Luan & Xuefeng Cui & Marion Ferrat. Historical trends of food self-sufficiency in Africa. Food Security. 5:393–405, 2013.
  3. Videos/Documentaries
    1. https://youtu.be/3fpmiEgs8pU . The Green Revolution and the Growth of African Agriculture lecture series at Stanford University sponsored by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Accessed December 22, 2016.
    2. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/world-jan-june12-foodsecurity_05-18/ Ray Suarez (PBS) and USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah discuss the initiative to lift millions out of poverty and hunger through farming partnerships. Accessed December 22, 2016.
    3. Achieving Food Security in Africa on Vimeo.html. Accessed December 22, 2016.
  4. Resource Centers/Institutes
    1. Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), Africa.
    2. Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (NEPAD), Africa.
    3. Cornell University: Cornell International Institute for Food, Agriculture and Development.
    4. International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington DC.
    5. Stanford University: Stanford Center for Food Security and the Environment
    6. Michigan State University: African Studies Center.
Go to Unit 4 Go to Unit 6