Maize is a staple food for more than 300 million people in Africa. By the 2030s drought and rising temperatures could render 40% of the continent’s maize-growing area unsuitable for current varieties.

Staple food crops like sorghum, cassava, sweet potato, pearl millet, cowpea and groundnut are naturally more drought-tolerant than maize.

The intercropping is the practice of growing two or more crops together so farmers can have another crop to fall back on when maize harvests fail because of poor rainfall

Drought is one of the leading causes of loss of life, large-scale crop failure.
By 2050 , 3/4 of the world’s population and 1/2 of global grain production will be exposed to severe water scarcity.
Today, just three crops –rice, wheat and corn – provide nearly half of the world’s calories.

Bovine meat requires over 15,000 litres of water for 1kg of food.
Scientists believe that humans have cultivated more than 6,000 different plant species
One kilocalorie of cereals requires 0.5 litres of water.
Fruits and vegetables require 962 and 322 litres of water per kilogram respectively

No country is immune to drought, so we must act quickly to change our habits, but especially in the way we produce , distribute and consume food .

Droughts are up by 29% since 2000 , with 55 million people affected every year.
By 2050 , droughts may affect an estimated 3 out of every 4 people around the world.

To learn more about how drought affects food production and what we need to do to future-proof food systems, visit Droughtland, an imaginary country that lives under a dry spell.
Join the conversation on www.droughtland.com and @TourDroughtland.