Food Systems - Big3Africa.org

IGAD Warns of Rising Food Insecurity in the Horn of Africa

Correspondent January 28, 2026

Food insecurity across the Horn of Africa is worsening as climate change intensifies droughts, floods and heat stress. IGAD warns that erratic rainfall and rising temperatures are eroding food production and livelihoods, pushing millions deeper into hunger.

Food Systems

AfDB Approves Menengai Geothermal KES 2.1 Billion Loan

Correspondent January 27, 2026

The African Development Bank has approved a KES 2.1 billion loan to support a new 35MW geothermal power plant at Kenya’s Menengai field, strengthening clean energy generation, cutting emissions, and accelerating the country’s transition to affordable baseload power.

Food Systems

Morocco Explores Swapping Antibiotics for Cannabis in Chicken Feed

Correspondent January 20, 2026

Morocco is piloting an unconventional solution to antibiotic overuse in poultry farming: cannabis-derived CBD. Researchers are testing whether the non-intoxicating compound can improve chicken health, meat quality, and farm productivity as demand for organic, antibiotic-free poultry grows.

Food Systems

Kenya Mobilises Cash Transfers in Drought-Hit Regions

Neville Ng'ambwa January 19, 2026

The National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) is spearheading Kenya's drought response with the Hunger Safety Net Programme (HSNP), delivering Sh870.38 million in crucial cash transfers via Equity and KCB to protect vulnerable households and strengthen resilience against climate shocks.

Food Systems

FAO Warns Land Degradation Is Undermining Africa’s Food Future

Peter Ngare December 16, 2025

Land degradation is undermining Africa’s food security as soils lose fertility, forests disappear and climate stress intensifies. A new FAO report warns that without urgent land restoration and sustainable farming, smallholder livelihoods and national economies face growing risk.

Food Systems

NDMA Sounds Alarm of Hunger as Drought Deepens

Peter Ngare December 10, 2025

Kenya’s drought crisis is worsening across 23 ASAL counties, with Mandera already in the “Alarm” phase. NDMA warns that 1.76 million people need urgent assistance, a figure expected to rise sharply by early 2026.

Food Systems

Forests Could Be the Key to Saving Global Agriculture

Peter Ngare December 8, 2025

A new global report reveals that forests and trees are vital to the future of agriculture. They regulate climate, protect soils, stabilize water systems, boost biodiversity, and help farmers build climate-resilient food systems—offering one of the strongest pathways to sustainable global agriculture.

Food Systems

Sahel Gets $14.6m AfDB Boost for Climate and Food Security

Peter Ngare December 1, 2025

The African Development Fund has approved a $14.64 million grant to expand a major food security and climate resilience programme in the Sahel. The funding will scale climate-smart villages, strengthen regional seed systems, and support vulnerable communities facing worsening climate shocks. Women and youth will receive targeted support as the initiative boosts agricultural resilience across the region.

Food Systems

High Court Rules Farmers Can Freely Save and Share Seeds

Peter Ngare November 28, 2025

The High Court has declared as unconstitutional critical sections of the Seed and Plant Varieties Act (SPVA), effectively overturning prohibitions on the saving, sharing and sale of uncertified seeds by smallholder farmers.

Food Systems

African Farmers Bearing the Climate Burden Alone

Correspondent November 6, 2025

Across Africa, smallholder farmers are financing their own fight against climate change, spending billions each year to keep food systems alive as global support lags. A new analysis shows they already shoulder most of the world’s adaptation costs, even as they receive less than 1% of the funding meant to help them.