Food security in Africa has been of concern for decades, and unfortunately is not improving overall.  The food crisis in Africa is continuing to worsen especially in sub-Saharan Africa. The commitment to halve hunger by 2015 made by the United Nations under the Millennium Development Goal 1, is unlikely to be achieved in Africa at the current pace of interventions.

Africa’s ongoing food insecurity is linked to a lack of investment in agricultural production, but also influenced by other factors that  have a deep impact on the food crisis. The HIV/AIDS epidemic, for instance, is continuing to take the lives of many people, especially young adults who could work on the land. Climate change also exacerbates food insecurity, and its consequences, such as erratic rainfalls, prolonged droughts, widespread desertification and destroyed crops, are increasingly threatening millions of vulnerable individuals.

AFAP’s projects for food security in Africa

Solar Food Dryers in Zimbabwe

Many farmers in Zimbabwe attempt to preserve the value of the crop through traditional sun drying techniques. However, the quality of the dried products, particularly leaf vegetables, is compromised by poor drying conditions, poor hygiene, inadequate storage conditions and by insect and fungal attack.

AFAP’s local NGO partner in Zimbabwe, the Community Technology Development Trust (CTDT), has been experimenting with the use of solar driers for some ten years. Their latest innovative appliance is made from steel and glass, which can be manufactured locally at low cost, and represents a significant improvement on the crude simple driers made from scrap wood and plastic sheets, which may be seen in villages across much of Africa.

AFAP- CTDT project promotes the use of efficient energy sources, helps locals retain traditional methods of food preservation and storage, and at the same time facilitates the solution of the problem of seasonal food shortage at the household level.