Nutrient-rich crops can have a major impact on community health, especially in Africa, which will be the world’s most populous continent by the end of the century. But if food security is to be sustainable, fertile soils and crops that are adapted to climate change are essential. “The single greatest cause of malnutrition in Africa is a nutrient-poor diet,” says Jurie van der Walt, a South African author of several books on the value of indigenous plants in Africa.
“Although large quantities of food are produced, these foods do not contain enough nutrients. This situation can be corrected by reintroducing plants that have been grown for centuries by families on small farms.”
Introduction
Dr. Cary Fowler, the US Special Envoy for Global Food Security, recently said in an interview with rfi that African soils are highly degraded and eroded and are among the poorest in the world. Dr. Fowler is known as the father of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, which provides ultimate security for over a million unique crop varieties. Seed vaults store seeds from thousands of plants to ensure that these plants can be revived in the event of a disaster. The situation in Africa, where poor soil structure and agricultural practices that cause erosion and degradation are not conducive to sustainable and productive agricultural systems, could very well be heading for such a catastrophe that will not only cause malnutrition and obesity, but could eventually lead to hunger and starvation. The situation is dire indeed.
The Telegraph’s Charles Pensula reported in June that nearly nine million people in Malawi are now classified as food insecure after warm El Niño currents brought extreme weather and drought to large parts of southern Africa, destroying millions of hectares of crops. The country declared a state of emergency in 23 of its 28 counties in April and appealed for humanitarian aid. “Food aid agencies and health workers predict the shortages will lead to a spike in malnutrition across the country. Hunger is already taking its toll in several areas, particularly among children,” Charles said.
Thousands of people in Malawi are going hungry as rainfall fails and harvests fail.
withered in the heat. (Source: https://www.ipsnews.net/2016/01/thousands-face-hunger-and-pray-for-enough-rain-in-malawi/)
Land degradation
Africa is one of the most degraded continents in the world, with approximately 700 million hectares (23%) already degraded and another three million hectares degraded annually. This is not an African malaise, as it is estimated that 40% of the planet’s land is degraded. Degraded land has lost its natural productivity due to human-induced processes.
Major causes of land degradation in Africa and elsewhere include:
- biological invasions, where alien, non-native plant species spread beyond their native range and disrupt natural ecosystems;
- events resulting from climate change, such as devastating floods, intense droughts and uncontrollable fires;
- transformation or fragmentation of habitats due to poor agricultural practices and deforestation to make way for non-native plant species.
This also includes factors related to mining, including:
- pollutants such as sulfur dioxide and eutrophication that causes algae and other plants to take over native plant life;
- extractive activities, such as mining and overexploitation, and failure to restore the land to its original state.
In Africa other factors also play a role, namely:
- development needs as cities grow;
- a high dependence on natural resources at the household level, such as the use of firewood for cooking;
- agricultural practices, including the cutting down of native plants to grow cash crops;
- weak governance; insecure land rights; widespread poverty; and
- population growth.
An estimated 13 million people in Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia are facing severe hunger as the Horn of Africa grapples with its worst drought in decades, according to the World Food Programme. (Source: https://phys.org/news/2022-02-million-hunger-horn-africa-drought.html)
Health
Monoculture crops such as wheat, maize and rice have become staple crops in Africa. However, underutilized crops have the potential to perform well in a changing climate, while also meeting nutritional needs. About 80% of Africa’s population cannot afford a healthy diet. Yet, Africa has many indigenous, traditionally cultivated crops that are highly nutritious.
“If we could increase the productivity of these crops and integrate them more fully into the African diet, we could address issues like child stunting,” Dr. Fowler said. The U.S. launched the Vision for Suitable Crops and Soils (Vacs) program in 2023, which promotes a return to traditional crops.
According to the VACS website, a case study in Malawi indicates that overreliance on maize has led to “systemic agricultural vulnerability, poorly diverse and nutrient-poor diets, and stunting of children. Diversifying to climate-resilient indigenous crops is essential for the country’s food and nutrition security.” Maize is an integral part of the Malawian diet, but maize yields are expected to decline by 30 percent by 2100.
This is due to a projected decrease of 66 mm (4%) in rainfall by 2050 and a 2 degrees C (6%) increase in temperature. Currently, almost 40% of children under five in Malawi experience stunting, in other words, they are small for their age, due to chronic malnutrition. Diverse crops, as opposed to or in addition to monoculture crops, will be more resilient to Malawi’s changing climate. Traditional food crops, including sorghum, millet, Bambara peanut and yams, can increase climate resilience and meet children’s nutritional needs.
“We’re not saying farmers shouldn’t grow some of the staple crops they’re growing now; we’re saying we need to fill that food basket — particularly with legumes and essential fruits and vegetables — if we’re going to combat the really horrific rates of stunting in children,” Fowler says. “They’re going to be physically and mentally stunted for the rest of their lives, and you can’t develop a society with that kind of disability.”
Non-GMO
This does not mean that genetically modified plants should be grown, which is not allowed in some African countries and remains skeptical. This reluctance to accept genetically modified crops is likely the result of unfavorable policies shaped by public opinion, despite their potential to achieve the zero hunger agenda, researchers have found. The approach should be traditional plant breeding, as has been the case for centuries. These crops have never been abandoned, but are usually tended by women in their own gardens, which is why there are no official statistics on them. The ideal is to make these native crops more productive so that they can compete in the market and get their share of the diet, whether it is for school meal projects or even processing industries. “If we build that kind of market and market demand, it will encourage farmers to grow them,” says Fowler. Reintroducing native crops can help restore degraded land. “Ecological restoration can help create conditions
“In which plants, animals and microorganisms can carry out the recovery themselves,” says Mlungele Nsikani, Senior Scientist at the South African National Biodiversity Institute (Sanbi). “Supporting recovery can be as complex as altering landforms (deliberately changing aspects of the landscape), planting vegetation, changing hydrology (water flow) and reintroducing wildlife. It can also be as simple as removing an invasive species or reintroducing a lost plant species to the land.”
Seeds
To restore degraded land, the best way is to sow seeds. Seeds can be made available in a variety of ways, including in some cases non-governmental organizations that can provide them for free. Farmers can also save some of their seeds to replant, but also to share with other farmers. Small or medium-sized seed companies can also sell seeds.
The value of growing nutritious native plants can address Africa’s food security challenges. Smallholder farmers can play a key role in bringing these ‘forgotten’ African food plants back to the table.
Even more to look forward to
This series focuses on two aspects:
- Aspects contributing to the effective cultivation of indigenous food crops by smallholder farmers in Africa; and • The use of indigenous, nutritious food crops in the daily African diet.
Source references
Gbadegesin, LA, Ayeni, EA, Tettey, CK, Uyanga, VA, Aluko, OO, Ahiakpa, JK, Okoye, CO, Mbadianya, JI, Adkoya, MA, Aminu, RO, Oyawole, FP, Odufuwa, P. (2022) GMOs in Africa: Status, Acceptance and Public Acceptance. Science Direct https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2022.109193 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0956713522003863
The Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils (VACS) https://www.state.gov/thevision-for-adapted-crops-andsoils/#:~:text=The%20Vision%20for%20Adapted%20Crops%20and%20Soils%20(VACS)%20aims%20to%20adapted%20crops%20and%20Soils%20(VACS)%20aims%20to%20adapted%20crops%20and%20building%20healthy%20soils.
Why reviving old crops is the key to saving Africa’s degraded soils (2024) rfi https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20240202-how-reviving-old-crops-is-the-key-tosaving-africa-s-degradedsoils?fbclid=IwAR2pZAVHH_vt XDIMzC03H0jSwvLFnHpROjDL oY1XvCxteu6ESa8Nia6uvr0&u tm_campaign=facebook&utm_ content=clic&utm_ medium=social&utm_ source=shorty
Nsikani, M. M. (2024) Nearly 25% of Africa’s land is damaged – what’s causing it and what can be done. The Conversation. com https://theconversation.com/nearly-25-of-africa-land-is-damaged-what-is-causing-it-and-what-can-be-done-231315 Mlungele M. Nsikani
Pensula, C. (2024) Malawi struggles to feed millions after arid drought. The Telegraph https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/climate-and-people/malawi-drought-crop-failuresfood-insecurity-africa/
Steyn, T. (2022) Ancient African Foods Part 1: The Answer to Africa’s Malnutrition and Obesity. ProAgri.co.za https://proagri.co.za/old-african-food-part-1-the-answer-to-africa’s-malnutrition-and-obesity/