Holistic approaches for resilience must combine the best of ancient land practices and modern technologies.
When you work in the agrifood industry, there are a few words that are popping up more and more: Climate resilience, sustainability, and food systems change are on everyone’s lips. Why? The simple truth is that the food system we have come to rely on over the last 200 years is broken, and climate change is making that fact obvious faster than anyone anticipated.
Designing for climate resilience in Africa’s food system is the only way forward. There’s no single solution to our complex challenges. Instead, we must embrace an innovative holistic approach that fuses the wisdom of agroecology and environmental stewardship with the power of cutting-edge technologies.
Feeling the Impact Across the Continent
All over Africa, the effects of a changing climate are keenly felt. Looking at East Africa, a recent analysis of 76 academic studies reveals a troubling reality: climate change exacerbates resource scarcity, leading to a higher prevalence of conflict in affected areas. This vicious cycle of climate-induced conflict and displacement has created a devastating feedback loop of food insecurity and economic decline, with consequences that worsen over time. Researchers Yadeta Bedasa and Kumala Deksisa conclude that there is an urgent need for climate resilience in Africa’s food system. By investing in high-temperature and drought-resistant crop varieties, as well as improving the distribution and management of land, water, and other natural resources, East African nations can not only enhance food security but also contribute to the resolution of conflict in the region. In short, fixing the food system can help to stop wars.
In Ghana, last year saw heart-breaking scenes of farmers searching for salvageable crops in their waterlogged fields. As Maxwell Suuk of DW reports, erratic rains brought “drought and floods in quick succession” that devastated the staple maize crops of the 2023 growing season. Yet, in the face of adversity, lies an opportunity for transformation. Innovators like Ghanaian crop breeder Gloria Boakyewaa Adu develops drought tolerant crops and early maturing varieties of maize that “grow rapidly during the shorter rainy season.” Farmers who embrace these scientific innovations have been able to bring in a harvest while their neighbours have seen their maize fields washed away, or withered in the sun before the crops can reach maturity.
Right now, in Southern Africa, the summer rainy season has drawn to a close and the harvests are supposed to be coming in. Instead, Kristin Engel of The Daily Maverick reports widespread crop failures across the region as “Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi have already declared a national disaster over the drought.” Speaking to the scientists behind a new study by the World Weather Attribution, Engel writes that the primary driver behind this drought is El Niño. The situation is compounded by existing vulnerabilities, including high food prices and economic challenges.
El Niño’s frequency is expected to increase due to climate change, posing a significant threat to agricultural productivity and food security in the region. The vast majority of farmers in Southern Africa depend on rain-fed agriculture, and severe droughts like the one they are currently facing, is likely to occur twice a decade instead of once.
Mitigating efforts involve strengthening early warning systems and social protection mechanisms like disaster insurance. As Engel reports, African Risk Capacity is aiding in disaster response, with insurance payouts expected for affected countries. While insurance solutions are valuable, strengthening primary resilience to future droughts is essential, particularly for vulnerable rural populations. Communities that are able to produce enough food regardless upheavals in climate patterns, are much better off than those dependent on time-delayed disaster responses.
Working with Nature for Long-term Climate Resilience in Africa’s Food System
In the face of such daunting challenges, the need for holistic solutions becomes apparent.
In the Sahel region, where vulnerability and food insecurity are persistent challenges, innovative approaches are proving effective in enhancing resilience and food security. One such approach involves the use of traditional soil and water conservation techniques, such as half-moons or “zai”, to rehabilitate degraded land and increase agricultural productivity. Implemented as part of the Sahel Integrated Resilience Programme by the World Food Programme (WFP), these interventions have brought significant benefits to communities across Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger.

Communities are rehabilitating degraded land using “zai” that holds on to precious water in the Sahel Integrated Resilience Programme. Click the image to learn more.
The technique involves breaking through hard surface soil to create crescent-shaped grow-beds that catch water and let it seep into the soil. Communities who have implemented the technique have even seen how it assists in the replenishing of groundwater tables. This is because water that normal flowed away now has thousands of locations to pool and seep into the earth and increasing organic matter in the soil acts like a sponge that slowly release water for year-round use. Combined with syntropic farming techniques that creates diverse food forests instead of single-crop systems, communities in some of Africa’s most degraded landscapes are now bringing the earth back to life. Satellite-based analyses have provided compelling evidence of the positive impact of these techniques on land rehabilitation and agricultural productivity.
For two consecutive years, 80% of targeted villages in Niger where the Integrated Resilience Programme implemented half-moons no longer required humanitarian assistance during the lean season. This milestone signifies a significant stride forward, impacting over half a million people annually and resulting in a total reduction of 54 million USD in assistance needs. Such outcomes underscore the transformative power of these traditional soil and water conservation techniques, not only in enhancing agricultural productivity but also in fostering greater self-reliance and resilience within communities across the Sahel.

Rural Farmers Hub empower smallholders with satellite data, amongst other. Click the image to visit their site.
In addition to traditional techniques, modern technologies play a crucial role in building resilience in Africa’s agrifood industry.
Companies like Rural Farmers Hub believe that combining technology and agroecological techniques like intercropping is the way of the future. CEO Gabriel Eze, a 2021 GoGettaz Impact Award Winner, uses digital tools, satellite imagery, soil moisture monitoring, and data analytics to provide farmers with real-time insights and actionable recommendations tailored to their specific needs and local conditions. Their long-range weather forecasts, seasonal outlooks, and soil moisture management helps farmers proactively plan and adjust their farming practices in response to impending climate-related challenges such as droughts, floods, or erratic rainfall.
This approach empowers farmers to optimize their farming activities. Technology assists choices regarding planting schedules, fertilization, irrigation practices, crop choices and when to harvest, thereby minimizing risks and maximizing yields even in the face of adverse weather events. By providing insights and tools that enable farmers to adapt to changing climate conditions, Rural Farmers Hub is equipping them with the tools they need to thrive in a changing climate.
Into the Future
There will be more droughts. There will be more floods. Seasons will be more unpredictable. And food insecurities will cause more conflict. But we can solve this problem. As we navigate the complexities of climate change and its impact on Africa’s food system, it becomes increasingly evident that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Instead, we must embrace a multifaceted approach that draws on both ancient wisdom and cutting-edge innovation to build resilience and secure sustainable livelihoods for communities across the continent.
Innovative interventions like the Sahel Integrated Resilience Programme demonstrate the power of traditional soil and water conservation techniques in revitalizing degraded land and enhancing agricultural productivity. Similarly, new crop varieties that compliment shorter growing seasons are helping farmers bring in a harvest. And the deployment of technology and digital agriculture methods empower farmers to make informed decisions and adapt their farming practices in response to changing environmental conditions. It is clear that resilience lies not in isolation, but in collaboration and innovation. By harnessing the collective wisdom of the past and the transformative potential of the present, we can pave the way for a more sustainable and equitable food system in Africa.
With each innovative solution and forward-thinking initiative, we move one step closer to realizing a future where communities are empowered to withstand the challenges of climate change and thrive in harmony with the natural world. That is where you come in. If you are an agrifood entrepreneur with an innovative business solution that can help us build climate resilience in the African food system, enter the GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize Competition.