When we in the West think of sub-Saharan African, images of drought ridden crops and large, starving families can often spring to mind. Yet, contrary to our many misconceptions, Africa is set to become a key producer helping to feed our starving planet.
The African continent is the last frontier of undeveloped arable land, with 50 to 60 percent of the planet’s unused soil in sub-Saharan Africa alone. Simple changes, like improving farming know-how, providing higher quality seeds, and giving direct access to markets, could see African crop production double or even triple over the coming decades.
Experts believe an increase of just 50% would see Africa go from deficit to surplus. So a jump of 100-200%, which is entirely feasible, will prove vital as our global population swells towards 10 billion people.
Awesome news! With a little bit of love and attention, a region of the world some of us perceive as a detriment to food security could soon be a boon to us all.
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Tags: Africa, food, green, hope, increase, optimism, revolution, shortage, surplus
