According to the United Nations, over 36 million people are struggling to meet their basic food
needs, a number projected to rise to over 52 million during the June–August 2025 lean season,
including almost three million in emergency conditions (IPC4) and 2,600 people in Mali at risk of
facing catastrophic hunger (IPC5).
The unyielding conflict has forcibly displaced more than 10 million of the most vulnerable across the
region, including 2.4 million refugees and asylum seekers, in Chad, Cameroon, Mauritania, and
Niger. Almost eight million more have been internally displaced, mainly in Nigeria and
Cameroon. Many have been cut off from their livelihoods - fleeing farms and grazing lands in search
of food and shelter.
Food inflation exacerbated by rising food and fuel costs is pushing crisis hunger levels to new highs
in Ghana, Guinea, and Côte d'Ivoire. Food prices continue to rise in Nigeria, Chad, Niger, and
Cameroon, too, placing nutritious food far out of reach for the most vulnerable. Meanwhile,
recurrent extreme weather, particularly in the Central Sahel, Lake Chad Basin, and Central African
Republic, erodes families' ability to feed themselves. In 2024 alone, floods affected over six million
people across the region.
In East Africa, nearly 12.3 million people across Kenya, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda are
experiencing Crisis (IPC Phase 3) or worse outcomes, according to the April 2025 report from the
East and Central Africa Food Security and Nutrition Working Group (FSNWG). This represents an
increase of nearly 2.3 million people over March 2025, driven by the ongoing conflicts, the ongoing
influx of returnees from Sudan, and the shifting funding landscape caused by USAID funding cuts,
which is impacting the food and nutrition security situation in the country. In Southern Africa, the
number of people facing IFC situations across Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, and Zimbabwe has
remained unchanged at 22.2 million in April. The current state of insufficient food consumption,
however, remains below what was recorded in April 2024.
While food insecurity in Africa stems from various factors like conflict, extreme weather, and
economic instability, inefficient transport is a critical yet often overlooked contributor. A new World
Bank report, Transport for Food Security in Sub-Saharan Africa: Strengthening Supply Chains, reveals
that transportation inefficiencies are causing significant food losses in Africa. Thirty-seven percent of
locally produced food is lost in transit due to slow processing times, poor infrastructure, and non-
tariff barriers. The report recommends prioritizing investments in 50 transportation hubs, 10 ports,
20 border crossings, and 20 road segments, which could reduce food waste and transform supply
chains, benefiting the 58% of Africans who are currently food insecure.
To ensure long-term food security for all, countries must transform their food systems and how they
produce, distribute, and consume food. Our food systems currently generate $12 trillion per year in
hidden costs. Although agriculture and food produce 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions, the
sector benefits from only 4% of climate finance. Making sure that a proportional amount of climate
finance goes to the food system is a massive opportunity to accelerate sustainable transformation.
To support transforming food systems in low- and middle-income countries, the World Bank will
harness financing and knowledge to ensure a continuum of actions from short to long-term response
and enable incentives, innovation, investment, information, and institutions. The World Bank has
committed $45 billion toward food and nutrition security, with initiatives spanning 90 countries and
expected to benefit 327 million people. In Ethiopia, where agriculture is central to the economy, a
$300 million road development program is improving rural connectivity, linking communities to
major markets, enhancing food access, and supporting broader economic growth.
African Food Security Transforming Food Systems for Long-Term Food Security
One bright spot amidst the African food crisis is African Food Security (AFS), an agricultural
development company emerging from Cameroon aiming to become a global leader in food security.
With a vision to feed the world sustainably, the company is focused on high return on capital
investments, boosting food security, and creating significant employment opportunities across
Africa. AFS operates Africa’s largest collective farm and plans to expand maize cultivation across
hundreds of thousands of hectares in Cameroon and DR Congo, targeting 1 million ha over 3–5
years.
The organization recently partnered with Flux on a 205,000-ha enhanced rock weathering (ERW)
project in Cameroon. ERW enhances soil fertility, raises yields, reduces fertilizer dependency, and
sequesters CO₂. African Food Security, committed to turning Africa into a net food exporter while
creating sustainable job opportunities, finds in this partnership a stride towards its five-year goals
which include the creation of 100,000 jobs and achieving 10 million metric tons in annual food
production. This project also aims to enhance regional reputational value by promoting sustainable
agricultural practices across 54 African countries.
AFS has also signed a letter of intent (LoI) with Michigan State University to advance productivity and
climate-resilient techniques Michigan State University to advance productivity and climate-resilient
techniques.
AFS introduces a compelling blueprint: blending sustainable farming, scientific innovation, and
grassroots development. If scaled, this model could transform Africa from an importer to a major
global food supplier, offering a secure and resilient future for millions.