Food Security and Nutrition

Chickens as Well as Cheetahs: Biodiversity Conservation Must Also Include Livestock

By Christian Tiambo
As the UN’s COP16 biodiversity conference continues, the temptation is to focus on the wild flora and fauna under threat. But there is another, less obvious yet just as critical biodiversity crisis unfolding around the world that also deserves attention.

Sudanese Civil War Exacerbates Economies in Neighbouring Countries

By Oritro Karim
Critical levels of nationwide hunger in Sudan has only increased to critical levels since the start of the Sudanese civil war in April 2023. Escalated hostilities between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have led to limited mobility and repeated blockages of humanitarian aid. This, coupled with the volatile floods and droughts, have decimated crop fields which has only exacerbated famine levels greatly. All of these factors have left nearly 25 million people in Sudan in need of humanitarian assistance in 2024.

By Choosing What We Eat, We Choose the World We Want To Live In

By Busani Bafana
“How we prepare and eat food should not be at the expense of our biodiversity,” says 3-Michelin-starred chef Mauro Colagreco, who is on a mission to change our relationship with food and what we choose to eat. Colagreco, the owner of Mirazur, an award-winning restaurant in Menton, France, is a tribute to gastronomy. Among other world rankings, Mirazur's fine food and service have earned it first place in the World's 50 Best Restaurants. In the 2020 edition of the "100 Chefs" world ranking, Colagreco's peers named him the Best Chef in the World and Chef of the Year in 2019. 

Capacity Building Is Key to Africa’s Digital Sequencing Success Story

By Busani Bafana
Christian Tiambo has always wished to uplift local farmers’ communities through cutting-edge science. As climate change wreaked havoc on local agriculture, Tiambo, a livestock scientist at the Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health (CTLGH) and at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), focused on conserving and developing livestock that could withstand environmental stress.

The Future of Food Security Lies Beyond COP29’s Negotiation Tables

By Jesus Quintana
Climate change has thrown our food systems into chaos. Extreme weather events and dramatic climate variations are hammering food production and supply chains across the world. As global leaders gear up for COP29, there’s plenty of buzz about climate action. But can we really expect these slow-moving, bureaucratic negotiations to deliver tangible and swift results to decarbonize and insulate our agri-food systems? Most likely not. But do not despair. While the COP29 talks unfold, crucial climate solutions for transforming food systems are already taking root on the ground.

Sustainable Food Production is Imperative for a Healthy Planet

By Oritro Karim
Food waste has been a pressing concern for environmentalists and humanitarians for decades. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that approximately one third of all global food products end up in landfills, equating to roughly 1.3 billion metric tons. Conversely, according to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), about 3 billion people lack access to nutritious or sufficient amounts of food that will sustain a healthy diet. Additionally, food waste has been a leading factor in environmental degradation since the start of the industrial revolution, with food in landfills releasing millions of metric tons of carbon emissions into the atmosphere yearly.

Kenya’s Mung Bean Legislation Debate Underscores Farmers’ Vulnerability

By Robert Kibet
Kenyan farmers have faced a turbulent year, caught between legislative changes and a devastating scandal. While the country's Mung Bean Bill, aiming to regulate the lucrative mung bean industry, has moved to mediation, farmers are battling the fallout from the widespread distribution of counterfeit fertilizers that have jeopardized their crop yields and livelihoods.

World Told Act Now or Face 136 Years of Hunger, Report Warns

By Busani Bafana
High levels of hunger will continue for another 136 years in many developing countries, according to a new report assessing global hunger.

Climate Justice Needs Recognition of Common, but Differentiated Responsibilities

By Anis Chowdhury
Climate justice recognizes differential impacts of climate crisis between rich and poor, women and men, and older and younger generations. The UN Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized, “as is always the case, the poor and vulnerable are the first to suffer and the worst hit.” However, all people should have the agency to live life with dignity. Thus, climate justice looks at the climate crisis through a human rights lens.

Agroecology: The Game-Changing Solution to Global Food, Climate and Conflict Crises

By Busani Bafana
Edward Mukiibi, President of Slow Food, champions agroecology as a transformative answer to the world's most pressing crises: food insecurity, climate change, and violent conflicts. In a world where these challenges intersect, Mukiibi called for an urgent rethink of our approach to food systems. 

Why Africa Should Embrace Territorial Markets to Withstand Climate Shocks and Crises

By Isaiah Esipisu
African policymakers, local leaders and the private sector have been asked to create an enabling environment that will help African traders and farmer folks build reliable systems for food security and resilience through territorial markets. During a week-long 2024 Africa Agroecological Entrepreneurship and Seed Festival in Harare, Zimbabwe, experts observed that persistent crises have shown the importance of resilient close-to-home ‘territorial’ markets that feed billions of people every day—from public markets and street vendors to cooperatives, from urban agriculture to online direct sales, and from food hubs to community kitchens. 

Rejuvenating Tradition To Help Save Ancient Engineering Marvel—Dhamapur Lake

By Rina Mukherji
Dhamapur is a small village in Malvan taluka of west Sindhudurg district, housing the famous Dhamapur Lake. The Vijayanagar kings constructed an earthfill dam in 1530 A.D., creating a man-made lake surrounded by hills on three sides. Canals connect it to the Karli river, irrigating lush paddies and farms that grow the red Sorti and Walay rice varieties typical to the region.

Severe Floods in Nigeria Magnify The Dire Humanitarian Crisis

By Oritro Karim
On Monday, the Alau dam in Maiduguri, Borno State, collapsed, causing flash floods to ravage neighbouring regions in Nigeria. This comes after weeks of torrential rain, which caused severe structural damage to the dam. The floods have changed the lives of thousands and caused high levels of damage to infrastructures. The impacts of the recent floods compound with Nigeria’s pre-existing humanitarian crisis, which includes armed conflict, widespread malnutrition, and a failing economy.

Rising Temperatures Threaten Our Oceans

By Oritro Karim
Human practices, such as unsustainable fishing, pollution, coastal development, and fossil fuel use have pushed the Earth’s oceans to their limits. This has resulted in warmer, more acidic waters. As global temperatures rise yearly due to climate change, oceans continue to see significant losses in biodiversity, rising sea levels, and environmental damage.

El Niño-Induced Water Crisis Drubbing Villagers in Zimbabwe

By Jeffrey Moyo
Side-by-side with fellow male villagers, Enia Tambo uses a white 25-liter plastic bucket to dig out mounds of sand in the Vhombozi River, in Mudzi district located in Zimbabwe’s Mashonaland East Province. The woman, in her late 50s, is digging to reach the water that is lying deep beneath the soil. 

Pandemic’s Silver Lining—Africa Uses COVID-19 Technology for Agriculture

By Jewel Fraser
In this IPS podcast, Inter Press Service correspondent Jewel Fraser talks with a scientist from the International Livestock Research Institute in Nairobi, Kenya.

Humanitarian Crisis As Floods, Prolonged Heavy Rains Impact Chad

By Oritro Karim
Since June of this year, Chad has been facing an extended period of heavy rainfall. Major flooding has triggered the onset of a significant humanitarian crisis, as all aspects of Chadian life, including health, food production, and community, have been negatively impacted. Additionally, response plans are severely compromised due to high levels of hostility taking place in neighboring nations.

Rohingya Refugees Must Not Be Forgotten

By Yasmine Sherif
Seven years ago, a brutal campaign of violence, rape and terror against the Rohingya people ignited in Myanmar’s Rakhine State. Villages were burned to the ground, families were murdered, massive human rights violations were reported, and around 700,000 people – half of them children – fled their homes to seek refuge in Bangladesh.

Uganda Coffee Smallholders Grapple With EU Regulations on Imports

By Wambi Michael
In Kubewo village in eastern Uganda, children often go to work with their parents in the coffee gardens. Earnings from Arabica coffee are used, their parents and grandparents say, to pay for children’s education and other expenses for the family. 

Transforming India’s Villages Through Innovative Water Harvesting Techniques

By Umar Manzoor Shah
Brij Mohan, a 37-year-old farmer from Deoria, a modest village in India’s northern state of Uttar Pradesh, has a story of resilience and transformation. Mohan, the lone breadwinner for his family, has two children, the eldest just 10 years old.

Gender Equality Has Everything To Do with Climate Change

By Joyce Chimbi
After years of reporting on the frontlines of climate change, I have witnessed the devastating impact extreme weather events have on women and girls. In Kenya’s pastoralist communities in far-flung areas of Northern Kenya, West Pokot, Samburu and Narok counties, droughts mean a resurgence in harmful cultural practices such as outlawed female genital mutilation (FGM), beading and child marriages.
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