Climatic Change and Food crisis in Africa, who is going to solve it?

Is it not heart-wrenching that the crisis of food in Africa is not unfamiliar to us? In the mid-80s, a devastating one million lives were lost due to food shortages in Ethiopia. The Sahel region also experienced a food crisis in the 1970s and 1980s due to drought. In the 1990s, Somalia was struck by widespread famine. Even in the current century, East African countries have struggled with persistent food insecurity, with 22 million people currently in danger of starvation. Despite all the technological progress and innovations available, is it not unacceptable that we are still grappling with the same issues as the mid-80s?

Climate change may not be the sole cause of the devastating famines that have plagued Africa for decades, but it is certainly a significant contributor. Poor agricultural conditions, such as adverse weather, insect infestations, and improper land use, have been at the root of these hunger crises. However, when combined with geopolitical instability, the result is a recipe for disaster. The harsh reality is that, decade after decade, Africa has faced these same heartbreaking circumstances, leading to food shortages and devastating loss of life.

While climate change may not be the root cause of Africa's regional famines, it is certainly not innocent in the matter. Much like an earthquake that continues to devastate a region, climate change exacerbates already weak foundations, making it even more difficult to rebuild and fortify while the ground is constantly shifting. It amplifies the challenges and struggles that communities in Africa are already facing.

The devastating and heart-wrenching issue of food insecurity in sub-Saharan Africa will only continue to worsen unless we deeply comprehend the fundamental causes. While it may be tempting to solely blame climate change, it is only one of several factors contributing to this crisis. In order to effectively address this issue, we must also acknowledge and confront our flawed policies and disorganized food systems. Climate change may be intensifying the problem, but it is only one piece of a much larger puzzle.

Importing food is one of the most fragile and unreliable foundations. When you consider the added stress of climate change, it becomes a completely different situation. Take East African countries such as Ethiopia, Somalia, and Kenya, for example. These countries are currently experiencing their third drought in the past decade. This drought has been so intense that it has caused an unbearable famine that is claiming the lives of one person every 48 seconds, according to estimates by Oxfam and Save the Children. The problem has been exacerbated by the irregular and unaffordable food imports from Ukraine and Russia, which are major trade partners. The Russian-Ukrainian war and global inflation have caused the price of wheat in Africa to increase by over 45%, as noted by the African Development Bank in May.

Furthermore, Data: the desperate shortage of high-quality agricultural data in Sub Saharan Africa is a deeply frustrating and complex issue. It is crucial to have data on areas that are vulnerable to climate change and on farmers who may be affected by it. It is also essential to have all farmers and their farmlands mapped, with information on their primary crops, real-time crop production, irrigation schemes, restricted areas, the climatic conditions of every area, the necessary cultivation density of each area, GAP data, and areas in need of attention in order to plan for economic growth and efforts to alleviate poverty. Tell me, which African country has all of this data and can prove me wrong? The United Nations has just announced that the average amount invested annually in agriculture by low- and lower-middle-income countries is a staggering $957 billion. If agriculture accounts for more than 25% of GDP in some developing countries, employs 63% of the world's impoverished population, and has the potential to improve food security for 80% of them, then why has this investment not resulted in stronger economies and improved livelihoods?

Climate change reveals the already existing vulnerabilities in crucial systems such as roads, bridges, train tracks, and ports, which allow for abundant harvests in one country to reach less food-secure countries. Many African nations, specifically in sub-Saharan Africa, do not have sturdy transportation infrastructure, making these systems more prone to destruction during harsh weather conditions. In Tanzania, a nation with a GDP of $62 billion, it is estimated that as much as $1.4 million is lost daily due to flood-related transit interruptions, according to a report by the Infrastructure Transitions Research Consortium led by Oxford University. This is a significant loss for a country with a history of railway washouts.

Climate change can also intensify migration patterns, creating a vicious cycle of decreasing domestic food production and increasing dependence on imports. As, nearly every country in sub-Saharan Africa is experiencing a population shift from rural to urban areas. These trends could speed up if farmers are forced to sell their land and give up their livelihoods in order to afford food. A dwindling farming workforce means that countries could face even more significant drops in domestic food production during difficult times, and face a labor shortage even when farming conditions improve.

Who is going to solve all of the above problems?

It falls upon every single individual and organization involved in the food industry to come together and combat the ongoing food crisis in Africa. From smallholder farmers to commercial farmers, agronomists to agro dealers, cooperatives to food manufacturers, banks to insurance providers, agricultural boards to ministries of agriculture, logistics and warehouse companies to foundations and agricultural organizations like AGRA and WFP, telecom companies and beyond - we are all responsible for finding solutions and working towards a brighter future for Africa.

The weight of this challenge may seem overwhelming, but with collaboration and determination, we can rise to meet it head on and create lasting change.

But the question, how? That’s where Mazao Hub Farm ERP comes in.  Mazao Hub Farm ERP can certainly be a valuable tool in addressing the challenges facing Africa's food supply. By connecting all stakeholders in the food industry, it can facilitate collaboration and coordination, which can be crucial in finding solutions to complex problems. However, it is important to recognize that a comprehensive and sustainable approach to addressing the African food crisis will likely require a range of efforts and interventions, and not just a single tool or solution. This may include investments in agriculture and food systems, support for smallholder farmers, efforts to improve access to markets and financing, and policies to promote sustainable and equitable food systems. Ultimately, finding lasting solutions to the African food crisis will require the collective efforts of governments, civil society, the private sector, and other stakeholders, working together to address the root causes and implement effective interventions.

 Mazao Hub Farm ERP can be a useful tool for smallholder farmers, as it provides a cloud-based platform for managing and optimizing their farming operations. By using the platform, smallholder farmers can access a range of features and tools that can help them to map their farms, plan and record their activities, monitor their progress, and manage end-to-end farm operations in a more sustainable and efficient manner. The platform's focus on climate-smart agriculture can be particularly useful for smallholder farmers, as it can help them to adapt to changing weather conditions and mitigate the risks of crop failures or other challenges. By enabling smallholder farmers to access these tools and resources through their smartphones, Mazao Hub Farm ERP can also help to bridge the digital divide and provide a more equitable and inclusive way for smallholder farmers to access the information and support they need to thrive.

Mazao Hub Farm ERP can be a valuable tool for agronomists and cooperatives working with smallholder farmers, as it provides a platform for managing and optimizing farming operations and connecting with other stakeholders in the food industry. By using the platform, agronomists and cooperatives can help smallholder farmers who do not have access to smartphones to map their farms, plan and record their activities, monitor their progress, and manage end-to-end farm operations in a more sustainable and efficient manner. In partnership with banks, insurance providers, and foundations, Mazao Hub Farm ERP can also enable these organizations to monitor the progress of each mapped farmer, track their financial history, and access other relevant data

Mazao Hub Farm ERP can be a useful tool for agro dealers, as it provides a platform for managing and optimizing their businesses and connecting with smallholder farmers and other stakeholders in the food industry. By using the platform, agro dealers can register their farmers and connect with more farmers, as well as manage their inventory, store balance, cash flow, sales and purchases, and communicate directly with wholesale suppliers or input manufacturers. This can help agro dealers to better serve smallholder farmers and operate their businesses more efficiently and effectively.

Mazao Hub Farm ERP can provide reliable and traceable data to local and international organizations such as USAID and FAO about small-scale farmers, agro dealers, agronomists, logistics and warehouse performance across the entire food supply chain, from grassroots level to commercial farming businesses. By collecting and analyzing data from a variety of sources, Mazao Hub Farm ERP can help these organizations to gain a more accurate and comprehensive understanding of the challenges facing small-scale farmers and other stakeholders, and to identify opportunities for improving food production and distribution in Africa. This can enable these organizations to design and implement more effective programs and interventions that support sustainable and equitable food systems, and to track and evaluate their impact over time.

Mazao Hub Farm ERP can be a valuable tool for helping smallholder farmers to reduce the risks associated with sustainable practices and optimize their costs and profits by keeping track of all farm operations. By using satellite imagery and farm software, farmers can access real-time insights and react quickly to field data when their actions can make a difference. This can help farmers to understand the impact of their agronomic practices, identify areas for improvement, and optimize their operations to achieve more sustainable and profitable outcomes. In partnership with the Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology and various agricultural boards, cooperatives, and associations, Mazao Hub Farm ERP is working to map more than 1.8 million smallholder farmers in the next 1.5 years. This can help to provide a more comprehensive and accurate picture of the challenges facing smallholder farmers and the opportunities for improving food production and distribution in Africa.

Mazao Hub technology have gone beyond other technology by using data networks that extend to IoT endpoints and use machine learning to make recommendations to optimise agricultural processes: resulting in more efficient use of land and water resources. These can include soil monitoring and weather monitoring.

We plan to impact over 4.5Million smallholder farmers in the next 5 years. How ? Our Innovation comes from harnessing the capabilities, networks and assets of others through value sharing and partnership. We work in partnership with agricultural boards, farm cooperatives, farm associations and organizations., manufacturing companies, agri dealers or farming enterprises that have network of thousands of farmers. We provide them with the platform to map their farmers and farms, monitor their progress employ Climate Smart Agriculture. Understanding that everyone has a role to play in mitigating the effects of climate change. We are partnering with Countries starting with Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Zambia, Congo, Ethiopia, Nigeria and others to invest in smallholder farmers and sustainably increase food production.

We welcome partnership with any stakeholders to Map All Farmers in Afric

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