How Eastern Africa can turn resilient amid food crisis

• In 2024, seven out of eight member states of Eastern Africa’s IGAD were staring down an alarming food crisis.
• This threat has triggered a rallying cry to reimagine and rebuild food systems across Eastern and Southern Africa.
• The food crisis is fed by a dangerous cocktail of climate shocks, land degradation, erratic rainfall, and inefficiencies in food supply chains.

In 2024, seven out of eight member states of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) were staring down an alarming food crisis. According to an update from the World Bank, over 62.9 million people—or one in every four of the region’s population—are suffering from acute food insecurity.

The stark reality is not just a call to action; it is a rallying cry to reimagine and rebuild food systems across Eastern and Southern Africa.

At the intersection of climate change, population growth, urbanization, and economic instability, the region faces a defining moment. But this crisis also presents a transformative opportunity: to turn food systems into engines of economic growth, resilience, and social inclusion.

Climate, Conflict, and Constraints: Root Causes of the Crisis

Eastern Africa’s food crisis isn’t caused by a single factor. It is a layered emergency, fed by a dangerous cocktail of climate shocks, land degradation, erratic rainfall, and inefficiencies in food supply chains. As climate change intensifies, the challenge is outpacing the region’s ability to adapt.

More than 230 million people in the IGAD bloc struggle daily with food access. In fragile contexts, where poverty is deeply entrenched, even small disruptions in supply or pricing can tip entire communities into hunger. For many, it’s not just about whether food is available—it’s about whether it’s affordable, safe, and nutritious.

A New Path Forward: Building Resilient Food Systems

In March 2025, Addis Ababa became the city of hope as policymakers, researchers, and development partners convened for the first High-Level Learning Event for the Food Systems Resilience Program (FSRP).

Spearheaded by IGAD and supported by the African Union Commission (AUC), CCARDESA, and the World Bank, the gathering underscored the region’s urgent need to shift from reactive food relief to proactive resilience-building.

“Knowing what each country is doing in its program—member states are learning from one another. What are the best practices, and how can we narrow existing gaps?” asked Dr. Abdi Fidar of IGAD’s Climate Prediction and Application Center. Dr. Fidar called for shared learning and cross-country collaboration to drive transformation in food systems.

Digital Agriculture: Sowing the Seeds of Innovation

A major theme from the Addis Ababa forum was the promise of digital tools in transforming agricultural productivity and resilience. For the policymakers, farmer registries, mobile-based advisory services, real-time market information, and digital traceability are more than tech buzzwords—they are lifelines for millions of small-scale producers navigating unpredictable seasons and volatile markets.

Malawi’s FSRP Program Coordinator Teddie Nakhuma said, “We are already learning about digitization from Kenya, and we want to learn more from Ethiopia who are already more advanced.”

However, the thought leaders agreed that barriers still persist. Limited internet infrastructure, low digital literacy, data protection concerns, and fragmented digital platforms are stalling progress. To scale digital agriculture effectively, regional coordination, robust investment, and inclusive user-centered design are essential.

Trade, Standards, and Sanitation: Unlocking Regional Integration

Despite Africa’s ambition for a continent-wide free trade area, inconsistent sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) standards continue to act as roadblocks. Poor compliance, lack of enforcement, and policy fragmentation mean that food doesn’t always move easily across borders—even when it’s abundant in neighbouring countries.

Trade scorecards and digital SPS compliance tools could improve transparency and efficiency. But the uptake of these innovations requires more training, better enforcement, and alignment with the African Union’s trade and agricultural frameworks.

Youth and Women: The Missing Link in Food System Transformation

Another cornerstone of FSRP’s strategy is creating jobs across the agricultural value chain. The opportunity is enormous. From farming and processing to marketing and distribution, resilient food systems can become a job-creation powerhouse—especially for youth and women.

By targeting this demographic with market access, training, and entrepreneurial support, the region can shift from subsistence to surplus, from vulnerability to value creation. Inclusive growth isn’t just equitable—it’s smart economics.

Read also: Potatoes can play star role in tackling Africa’s food crisis

Learning and Leading Together: The Power of Regional Collaboration

Throughout the learning event, a recurring theme emerged: countries cannot succeed in isolation. A structured mechanism for knowledge sharing, backed by political will and financial investment, is vital.

Building this culture of continuous learning will help countries sidestep costly missteps and fast-track what works. In doing so, Africa can craft a unified narrative of food resilience—one that leverages regional strengths and amplifies local solutions.

With only five years to the 2030 deadline for achieving Zero Hunger, Eastern and Southern Africa have no time to waste. But they do have momentum—and ideas. The vision of food security in the region is not a fantasy. It is a possibility, if governments, private sector actors, and development partners rally around integrated, inclusive, and climate-smart solutions.

Transforming food systems is not merely about ending hunger. It’s about securing livelihoods, unlocking potential, and sustaining future generations. In a region where seeds struggle to sprout and rains are unpredictable, planting the right policies now could yield a harvest of hope tomorrow.