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In Africa south of the Sahara, lack of access to financial services and products poses a serious challenge for agricultural growth and productivity. Many smallholder farmers are cash-poor; it is common for farmers in the region to sell their crops immediately after harvest in order to meet their immediate cash needs rather than waiting for prices to go up and thus increasing their profits. This lack of available capital, coupled with the difficulty smallholders often face in accessing credit, limits their ability to invest in their farms and in other incoming generating activities.

According to a special report put forth last week by FEWS Net, several areas of Nigeria likely experienced famine during 2016 and continue to face the threat of famine into 2017.

One area of particular concern is Bama Local Government Area (LGA), where the majority of the population is concentrated in Bama Town and Banki Town. FEWS Net reports that available evidence indicates that at least 2,000 people in these towns died from famine-related causes between January and September.

The 2015-2016 El Niño cycle has had devastating effects in many developing regions, including across much of Africa south of the Sahara. According to a new report from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, El Niño has affected 60 million people worldwide, and 23 countries have issued response plans costing upwards of US$ 5 billion in national funding and international aid.

Recent IFPRI research has found that the global economic slowdown will be most felt in the world’s poorest countries, with an additional 38 million people potentially falling into poverty by 2030. According to the latest Africa’s Pulse report from the World Bank, this global slowdown has already had impacts in the region – economic growth in Africa south of the Sahara fell from 4.5 percent in 2014 to 3 percent in 2015 and is expected to fall even further to 1.6 percent in 2016. This would represent the lowest level of growth in over two decades.

Climate change and weather variability are posing challenges for smallholder farmers worldwide, but women farmers tend to be even harder hit due to a lack of resources. According to the first article in a special issue of Gender, Technology and Development released in July, women farmers in Malawi lack access to basic agricultural tools, as well as to new technologies and practices that can enhance labor productivity and aid in climate change adaptation.