What's New

In this book chapter from the 2025 Africa Agriculture Trade Monitor Report, authors explore a critical yet often overlooked pillar of food security: the trade and accessibility of agricultural inputs. For those tracking the continent's path toward self-sufficiency, the study explores how fertilizers contribute to the future of African farming.The Fertilizer ParadoxFertilizers are crucial for delivering essential nutrients to crops, significantly boosting productivity and enhancing food security.

While Mali has seen some improvement in acute malnutrition rates in recent months, levels remain alarmingly high, according to an IPC alert released last month. The country’s nutrition situation is expected to deteriorate in the latter half of the year. The alert cites a 29 percent decline in acute malnutrition rates in 2026 compared to 2025. However, more than 1 million children under the age of 5 are forecast to suffer from acute malnutrition by October 2026, with 227,000 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition.

Militaries play a major role in the politics of many countries. They determine whether elections can occur and who can compete. From Egypt to Pakistan and Myanmar to Uganda, the military is often the most important powerholder.In parallel, violent non-state actors—including criminal networks, terrorist groups and paramilitaries—have proliferated over the last two decades.To maintain their influence and finance their operations, militaries and violent non-state actors often become heavily involved in both legal and illicit business activities.

Acute food insecurity continues to rise in Somalia, according to a new IPC alert. From early 2025 to February 2026, the number of people in IPC Phase 3 (Crisis) or above food insecurity has nearly doubled, with as many as 6.5 million people now classified as acutely food insecure. Worsening drought, combined with conflict and rising food prices, is largely to blame for the severity of the country’s food and nutrition security crisis.

Digital cash transfers can be delivered even in active conflict settings like Sudan and can significantly protect vulnerable households—especially in the most insecure areas—from worsening food insecurity, though their impacts vary by context and household characteristics.While the recent surge in armed conflicts and natural disasters continues to increase demand for humanitarian services, humanitarian organizations face an increasing funding gap to meet this demand.