This archive report was first published on 19 December 2019.
Published on December 19, 2019, a review of experiences from countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and other parts of the world shows that the transformations that agriculture and food systems have undergone in the last 70 years have trade-offs.
While they’ve reduced undernourishment, on the other hand, they are associated with an increase in overweight and obesity, loss in biodiversity and depletion of fundamental natural resources such as soils, forests and water.
Sub-Saharan African countries face the additional challenges of feeding an increasing population, ensuring that the growing number of youth have access to remunerative employment, coping with growing urbanisation, and adapting to the impacts of climate change.
According to the FIRST Programme, a strategic partnership between the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, the European Union (EU), and governments of 11 African countries plus the ECOWAS Commission, public investments will not be enough to eradicate all forms of malnutrition.
Through their policies and institutions, governments will need to create the conditions to ensure that the private sector contributes to ensuring that the transformations in agriculture and food systems have positive impacts on nutrition, employment generation, prosperity and environmental sustainability.
A high-level and society-wide policy dialogue will also contribute to allowing all actors, including the most vulnerable, with the opportunity to have their say.
By engaging with the private sector effectively and taking bold actions for the social transformations that are essential for success, governments can pave the way for private agents to transform agriculture and food systems towards desired outcomes.
