Sub Saharan Africa Essay

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Recommended: Causes and impacts of food insecurity in africa

Food security is at the top of the list of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) with the goal of eradicating poverty and hunger. More than 60 countries are making great progress toward achieving the MDG hunger target 1.C, which is to halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people who suffer from hunger. Achieving food security in sub-Saharan Africa, however, remains a great challenge. Nearly 240 million people in sub-Saharan Africa, or one person in every four, lack adequate food for a healthy and active life, and record food prices and drought are pushing more people into poverty and hunger (FAO, 2010).Compared to other developing regions Sub-Saharan Africa fares worst in terms of prevalence of undernourishment (See, figure 1). Prime reason for widespread food insecurity in Africa is …show more content…

Malawi has been no exception to dismal state of food security in Africa. Time and again, it had faced food crisis and has remained heavily dependent on food aid. However, the tables turned in 2005, with implementation of Farm Input Subsidy Programme (FISP) despite donor’s resistance. After 4 years of chronic food shortages, Malawi started producing enough maize to fulfil its national requirements in 2006 and even exported maize to other African nations in 2007. This success story was lauded around the world as Malawian miracle and Malawi was presented as a model to emulate for other sub Saharan nations. The success of this subsidy programme also reignited the longstanding debate over market reforms v/s state intervention in form of subsidy in Africa. However, recently, with another food crisis looming large on Malawi, questions are being raised on the sustainability, viability and suitability of the

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