Food Security, Policies and Institutions in Africa: Prospects for a Revolution

Abstract

The current global financial crisis and economic meltdown has thrown up a number of questions. One of such, is how prepared national governments are to contend with the devastating food crisis plaguing the world generally and Africa in particular. In Africa for instance, this crisis is exacerbated by the fact that agricultural and food productivity per capita has been dwindling over the years; standing at about 2.5 per cent currently. This is abysmal when compared to population growth which stands at about 3.6 per cent. Nonetheless, political reforms as dictated by international financial institutions, which resulted in the democratization of political and administrative structures, have not been accompanied by socio-economic reforms and appropriate development policies, strategies and programmes that will enhance agricultural and food productivity. This has occasioned revolutionary pressures on African states and those who act on its behalf, and calls for urgent reappraisal of existing state policies, programmes and institutions on food security in Africa. This paper is part of the attempts at the reappraisal. It examines the challenges and problems of food security in Africa and identifies the prospects for a double green revolution in Africa. The paper recommends, as a strategy in tackling the food crisis, a restructuring of existing state institutions and collaborations among African states to ensure food sufficiency.