Few countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are food secure. Yet, the last two years have been
marked by alternating seasons of drought and floods. The situation in the Horn of Africa region has
been exacerbated by a locust invasion. The Covid-19 pandemic has also caused disruptions in the
supply of seeds, fertilizer and other farm inputs. The multiplier effect of these events is projected to
more than double the number of food insecure people in East Africa in the coming months. About 34-
43 million people, including 3.3 million refugees are likely to go hungry.
While food aid will be required in the short-term, longer term solutions are needed. There are
emerging technologies that small scale farmers, who produce 75% of the food consumed in the
region, can adopt to cope with the changing climatic conditions. These are water harvesting solutions
and solar water pumping. To enhance food security, post harvest loses must also be addressed.
Solar-powered cold storage solutions and the business models to make them affordable are gaining a
foothold in the market. In addition, there is an urgent need to increase local food production and
increase efficiency in the food supply chain.
ACE TAF will host a webinar on Powering agriculture and re-localization of food supply chains in
Africa on 30th July 2020 at 2.30pm (East Africa Time). The webinar will engage experts at the nexus of
energy and agriculture.
To register for this webinar click here: https://bit.ly/2B4FR8x
