Overcoming the Brink of Hunger Pandemic during Covid-19 in African Cities

Today, the pandemic have changed the world. However Africa has one of the highest population growth rates globally, placing the continent population at a higher risk of food insecurity.

The new virus outbreak has led to tough times for many, and highlighting how impoverished people and the working class suffer when food prices rise and jobs disappear, prompting a renewed interest in working the land.

Measures put in place to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus are pushing millions of people in Africa into severe hunger. The crisis has already fundamentally changed people’s lives, not just with regards to public health but in terms of politics, the economy, public services, and much more.

On April 21, the United Nations projected that because of Covid-19, the number of people facing severe food insecurity worldwide could double to 265 million.
Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), has warned that nations must evolve measures to mitigate hunger associated with the current COVID-19 pandemic. Recent estimates of food insecurity have suggested that as many as 73 million people in Africa were acutely food insecure, according to the WHO.

Why African Cities Needs Vertical Farming?

According to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the impact of the coronavirus pandemic could increase the number of people at risk of a food insecurity and malnutrition from 17 million to 50 million people between June and August 2020.

Appealing for continued support from the international community for the agency’s global aid effort, WFP spokesperson Elisabeth Byrs, warned that the new coronavirus risked exposing populations that had fled armed conflict and endured climate change emergencies.

Even before the global COVID-19 pandemic broke out, food insecurity was a serious concern throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Experts says, in order to address poverty we need to address the root cause – capital system which is rife with socioeconomic injustices, thus yielding inequalities, poverty and hunger.

“We must sustain our assistance across the region”, Ms. Byrs said. “Especially in places such as Central Sahel, Central African Republic, Nigeria and Cameroon.”

An estimated 12 million children under five years old could be acutely malnourished in the lean season from June to August, up from 8.2 million in the same period last year.

The alert follows a similar warning from the UN agency about a potentially massive spike in global food insecurity in East Africa, as a direct result of the pandemic.

During the lean season in June and August, more than 21 million people across West Africa “will struggle to feed themselves”, she explained, adding Gambia and Benin to the list of countries in need.

“An additional 20 million people could struggle to feed themselves due to the socio-economic impact of COVID-19 in the next six months, doubling the number of food-insecure to 43 million in this region”, the WFP official added.

Sustainable solution to failing food parcel system

In some cities and peri-urban areas, urban agriculture remains a vital source of food, dietary diversity and income. Domestic food production should be maintained in the following ways:

• During the crisis, small-scale gardening in towns could be an important source of food, especially if incomes fall as a result of declining employment.
• Local farmers should organise themselves into agricultural cooperatives fighting poverty with seeds, organic vegetables and resilience. The government should also provide arable land to communities and groups already eager to farm.
• Converting wasteland to food gardens to grow food in urban centres.
• Establishing urban garden project in the local community to serve members and also provides much-needed relief for poor families in the area.
• Government authorities should create easy access to farm machinery, expertise, fertiliser and sourcing sustainable methods and provide ways for communities to alternatively source seeds and water for farmers.

Fundamentally, existing problems will persist during the COVID-19 crisis and still have to be addressed. Many African governments will have to continue dealing with ongoing challenges such as the desert locust infestation in East Africa. These crises must continue to receive the attention they deserve.