Scientific American Global published an article about COVID-19 and how it is straining African food security, but also presents an opportunity for change. Presenting various stories throughout the continent, the article shows how people in rural and urban situations are coping with COVID-19, the lockdowns, and the health and economic toll it is taking on livelihoods. In Ethiopia, lockdowns have disrupted distribution chains for both dairy products and vegetables, according to IFPRI, which has a regional office in Addis Ababa. The pandemic has also strained household budgets, so families have had to cut back on their consumption of expensive sources of nutrients, such as vegetables.
Ceres2030: Sustainable Solutions to End Hunger helped fund and produce this article. Ceres2030 is a project led by Cornell University, IFPRI, and IISD and funded by various donors in collaboration with 77 researchers spanning 23 countries. The project’s goal was to identify the most promising solutions to building sustainable food systems and to inform donors how much it would cost to end hunger by 2030.