Africa should turn the increase in population as a key factor to increase food security. The population will mostly be made up of the youth which means that they can make up an energetic labor force that can produce more food for every mouth.

Why Africa’s Burgeoning Population is Good for Agribusiness

  • Crops | Manpower / Capacity Building | Policy and Legislation
  • September 4, 2024

By Irene Gaitirira

Food Crisis to Persist in Sub-Saharan Africa as Politicians Mortgage Public Land to ForeignersWith an annual increase of 42 million people, the population of Africa will double to about 2.4 billion people in 2050. And this increase in population will have both positive and negative effects on the economy of Africa. Some of the positive implications include:

  • Increase in food production
  • More employment opportunities
  • Eradication of hunger in many parts of the African continent
  • High birth rate and low mortality rates.

But, according to the Malthusian theory, an increase in population would have negative effects on Africa. One of these would be food insecurity which would lead to malnutrition and hunger.

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Other negative effects include:

  • Low income
  • High population would constrain available resources
  • Developing countries would have to rely on food aid from first world countries.

RELATED: Food Crisis to Persist in Sub-Saharan Africa as Politicians Mortgage Public Land to Foreigners

Though the small-scale farmers produce 80% of the food consumed in Africa, they face challenges such as poor farming techniques, poor financial standing and poor technology. There is need to motivate and support these small-scale farmers for Africa to be guaranteed food security.Is there a solution to revive the agribusiness sector to avoid these negative implications?

It is ironical that Africa has the world’s largest reservoir of unused arable land but it still has the lowest food production rate of about 10%. Moreover, the continent heavily depends on imported agricultural sector which demeans its own. There is a need to exploit this arable land. Africa can feed Africa.

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Africa should turn the increase in population as a key factor to increase food security. The population will mostly be made up of the youth which means that they can make up an energetic labor force that can produce more food for every mouth.

Africa should turn the increase in population as a key factor to increase food security. The population will mostly be made up of the youth which means that they can make up an energetic labor force that can produce more food for every mouth.Africa’s agribusiness sector is divided into two categories: small-scale farmers and multinational agri companies. Though the small-scale farmers produce 80% of the food consumed in Africa, they face challenges such as poor farming techniques, poor financial standing and poor technology. There is need to motivate and support these small-scale farmers for Africa to be guaranteed food security.

An ArtMatters.Info article

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