Agricultural productivity in Africa declines 34%
Publication year
Resource type
UNCCD Library
Material Type
news article
Agricultural productivity in Africa has recorded a 34% decline since 1961. This is according to United Nations‘ report that was prepared by the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), further stated that the decline was a result of adverse impacts of climate change.
The decline according to the report has been attributed to cimate change, including increases in frequency and intensity of extremes. This have reduced food and water security, hindering efforts to meet Sustainable Development Goals. Climate change has slowed this growth over the past 50 years globally.
Kenya for instance is experiencing a decline in productivity as a result of erratic rainfall and intensifying droughts. According to the Kenya Food Security Steering Group (KFSSG), the maize harvest in the marginal agricultural areas is 45-50% of the five-year national maize production average.
The situation is attributed to widespread below-average crop production in marginal agricultural areas, with crop failure in Kilifi, Kwale, Taita Taveta, and Tharaka Nithi. By February, the number of food-insecure people in pastoral and marginal agricultural areas had risen from 2.1 million in August 2021 to 3.1 million. This, according to KFSSG, was driven by impacts of poor crop and livestock production and resource-based conflict.
Maize crop failure
“Widespread maize crop failure was reported in Kilifi, Kwale, Taita Taveta, and Tharaka Nithi, where county maize production was 1% to 7% of the five-year average. The below-average harvest was due to households planting on less land in anticipation of the below-average rainfall, lower seed stocks, and below-average rainfall throughout the short rains season,” Famine Early Systems Network noted.
And while the IPCC report suggests that increasing weather and climate extreme events have exposed millions of people to acute food insecurity, reduced water security, it notes that the largest impacts have been observed in communities in Africa, Asia, Central and South America, Small Islands and the Arctic. READ FURTHER FROM THE SOURCE
The decline according to the report has been attributed to cimate change, including increases in frequency and intensity of extremes. This have reduced food and water security, hindering efforts to meet Sustainable Development Goals. Climate change has slowed this growth over the past 50 years globally.
Kenya for instance is experiencing a decline in productivity as a result of erratic rainfall and intensifying droughts. According to the Kenya Food Security Steering Group (KFSSG), the maize harvest in the marginal agricultural areas is 45-50% of the five-year national maize production average.
The situation is attributed to widespread below-average crop production in marginal agricultural areas, with crop failure in Kilifi, Kwale, Taita Taveta, and Tharaka Nithi. By February, the number of food-insecure people in pastoral and marginal agricultural areas had risen from 2.1 million in August 2021 to 3.1 million. This, according to KFSSG, was driven by impacts of poor crop and livestock production and resource-based conflict.
Maize crop failure
“Widespread maize crop failure was reported in Kilifi, Kwale, Taita Taveta, and Tharaka Nithi, where county maize production was 1% to 7% of the five-year average. The below-average harvest was due to households planting on less land in anticipation of the below-average rainfall, lower seed stocks, and below-average rainfall throughout the short rains season,” Famine Early Systems Network noted.
And while the IPCC report suggests that increasing weather and climate extreme events have exposed millions of people to acute food insecurity, reduced water security, it notes that the largest impacts have been observed in communities in Africa, Asia, Central and South America, Small Islands and the Arctic. READ FURTHER FROM THE SOURCE
Keywords
agriculture
production
Africa
food production
food insecurity