Policy-related

A caricature of the situation in climate finance, particularly regarding Africa, is a classic vicious circle: Climate finance is not flowing because of the lack of bankable investment plans; the lack of investment plans is due to a lack of faith that climate finance will flow.

The supply and demand of fruits, vegetables and animal products is often insufficient and too expensive for most consumers in sub-Saharan Africa. However, recent evidence suggests that both the production and consumption of these nutrient-dense products is rapidly growing. What are the policy implications of this? And what can governments do to stimulate more inclusive and sustainable domestic value chains?

While Africa south of the Sahara has largely avoided severe health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic (fewer than 5 percent of globally confirmed cases and approximately 89,000 COVID-related deaths), the region is experiencing economic fallout due to national and global pandemic policy responses. Economic growth, value chain functioning, incomes, trade, poverty, and consumption have all been negatively affected, according to IFPRI’s 2021 Global Food Policy Report.

Nigeria continues to face high rates of chronic childhood undernutrition, micronutrient deficiency, and overweight / obesity: otherwise known as the triple burden of malnutrition. The culprit? Poor dietary quality.

This piece originally appeared on IFPRI.org .

The COVID-19 pandemic has crippled a number of African agricultural exports, while dependency on food imports and lower purchasing power across much of the continent threaten to push millions more into food insecurity and poverty. A Sept. 17 IFPRI policy seminar , organized with the support of USAID, explored the interaction of the pandemic’s macroeconomic and microeconomic effects, and how Africa must grapple with global and regional markets in order to recover economically.