Agricultural and Natural Resource Sustainability Under Changing Climate in Africa

Sustaining soil and forest resources, ensuring food security, and reducing poverty under changing climate in Africa are major challenges. The ever-increasing population, which may reach 1.4 billion by 2030, demands that food production must increase by 20% as compared to the present production. The population growth rate of 2.7% in 2017 in SSA region is also the highest in the world. This has intensified the problem of food insecurity as nearly 34% of population in SSA appears to be food insecure. Soils of SSA are prone to a range of soil degradation processes, and this is further aggravated by the increase in frequency and intensity of extreme events. The biophysical process of soil degradation is strongly influenced by the socio-economic, political, and cultural factors including the land tenure and gender-related issues. Indeed, soil-climate-human factors are intricately interlinked, and humanity’s impact on soil is increasing with the increase in population, affluence with which the population lives, and changes in technologies. Use of innovative technologies, financing value-added investments, and promotion of value addition to agricultural products are the ways of increasing and ensuring sustainable agricultural and livestock production. The adoption of new technologies, such as integrated dairy and cropping systems, leading to increased farm productivity and income, is spreading in central Malawi and the southern highlands of Tanzania. For example, integrated dairy and cropping systems are spreading and farmers are keeping few but more high-yielding cows in both regions. These cows produce milk and meat for household consumption and sale, but the dung provided is used for biogas production for cooking and light, as well as fertilizer for the crops. Currently, dairy goats provide milk and meat for approximately 100,000 Tanzanian smallholder farmers. The idea of personal transformation for changing our attitude for greater good and for sustainable agriculture is also a part of this process.