Africa: Sub-Saharan Africa

From 2010-2020, Nigeria experienced a sharp rise in violence propagated by the jihadist group Boko Haram in the northeast region and escalating inter-group conflict between farmers and Fulani pastoralists in the north-central region. Boko Haram’s violent attacks led to states of emergency in both 2011 and 2013; and while that group has dominated the news, conflicts between Fulani pastoralists and settled agricultural communities are often more deadly.

Current U.S. trade policies—though primarily focused on major global players including China, the European Union, and North American partners Canada and Mexico—also have economic consequences for smaller countries and regions around the world. In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), these impacts will be felt both directly, through newly imposed tariffs, and indirectly, as collateral damage in a potential trade war between the world’s largest economies.

In a world where data drives decisions, the importance of high-quality health and nutrition data cannot be overstated. Reliable data is the backbone of effective policymaking, intervention planning, and resource allocation—all critical for improving public health outcomes. For Ethiopia, a country grappling with significant health and nutrition challenges, the need for consistent, accurate, and timely data has never been more urgent.

Despite Uganda’s rapidly growing economy, as many as 34.6 million people continue to face food insecurity. More than 72 percent of the country’s population cannot afford a healthy diet, and both undernourishment and overweight/obesity among adults pose a growing challenge. To successfully confront these challenges and encourage the sustainable transformation of Uganda’s agrifood system, stronger policies and enhanced collaboration are needed, according to a recent brief from FAO.

How households respond to systemic shocks—food price volatility, seasonal fluctuations in agricultural production, conflict, pandemics, and extreme weather events—can play an important role in long-term food security, economic stability, and resilience at both the household and the societal level. A new project paper from the CGIAR Initiative on Fragility, Conflict, and Migration finds that in Mali, the coping mechanisms households resort to in the face of such shocks are often high-risk and reactionary.