Demand and Supply Challenges to Food Security in Sub-Saharan Africa

Cited from: The Montpellier Panel, 2013, Sustainable Intensification: A New Paradigm for African Agriculture, London

DeManD ChaLLenges suPPLy ChaLLenges

• Over 200 million people, nearly 23%, of the african

population, are now classed as hungry.

• Despite declines up to 2007, hunger levels have been

rising 2% per year since then.

• 40% of childrenundertheageoffiveinSSAarestunted

due to malnutrition.

• ssa has a population of around 875 million, with an average

annual growth rate of 2.5%.

• The population in ssa will almost double by 2050, to close to

two billion people.

• Between now and 2100 three out of every four people

added to the planet will live in ssa.

• 50% of the population will live in cities by 2030.

• Incomes are rising with gDP per capita in ssa expected to reach

$5,600 by 2060, and diets already beginning to change.

• On present trends, african food production systems will only be able

to meet 13% of the continent’s food needs by 2050.

• nearly 3.3% of agricultural gDP in ssa is lost annually because of

soil and nutrient loss.

• Cereal yields have increased by over 200% in asia and Latin

america but only by 90% in africa, between 1961 and 2011.

• In ssa only 4% of cultivated land is irrigated.

• In ssa only about seven million ha of new land have been

brought into production between 2005 and 2010.

• Between 1991 and 2009 per capita arable land fell by about 76m2 per year.

• under moderate climate change with no adaptation, total agricultural

production will reduce by 1.5% in 2050.

• More than 95 million ha of arable land, or 75% of the total in ssa,

has degraded or highly degraded soil, and farmers lose eight million

tons of soil nutrients each year, estimated to be worth $4 billion.