The Nordic Africa Institute
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Russia's invasion of Ukraine jeopardizes food security in Africa : shocks to global food supply chains could lead to social and political unrest
No full textApart from being a humanitarian tragedy, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has also emerged as an exogenous shock to global food supply chains, with severe consequences for many African countries in particular. Four months into the invasion, we can see three main threats to food security in Africa: a disruption to energy markets and shipping routes; a shortage of fertilizers; and the negative ‘third-party’ effects of sanctions imposed on and by Russia
After the pandemic – an opening for tax reforms : post-covid taxation challenges across Africa
No full textOne of the most efficient ways of promoting long-term inclusive development is to ensure domestic financing through a stable, broad-based and fair tax system. At the present moment, as policy makers across the world are preparing post-pandemic policies, there is an opportunity to open the way to tax reform and to boost inclusive development in many African countries – provided the correct measures are chosen
Transformative adaptation and implications for transdisciplinary climate change research
No full textThe severity of the climate challenge requires a change in the climate response, from an incrementalto a more far-reaching and radical transformative one. There is also a need to avoid maladaptationwhereby responses to climate risk inadvertently reinforce vulnerability, exposure and risk for somesections of society. Innovative technological interventions are critical but enabling social,institutional and governance factors are the actual drivers of the transformative process. Bringingabout this transformation requires inter- and transdisciplinary approaches, and the embracing ofsocial equity. In this Perspective, we unpack what this means for agricultural research and, based onour collective experience, we map out a research agenda that weaves different research componentsinto a holistic and transformative one. We do not offer best practice, but rather reflections on howagricultural research can more readily contribute to transformative adaptation, along with thepersonal and practical challenges of designing and implementing such an agenda. ClimBe
Attacks on scholars a threat to democracy in Africa : the link between decreased academic freedom and the stagnation of democracy
No full textAccording to the Academic Freedom Monitoring Project, the percentage of attacks on higher education is higher in Africa than in any other region. And with Covid lockdowns, the academic freedom at African universities has been challenged even further. Given the strong links between academic freedom and democracy, organisations working with democratic development in Africa should take action to support and protect scholars at risk
Harmonising land privatisation with customary rights : A middle way for land rights formalisation in Zambia
No full textMany critics of customary land rights systems call for conversion of customary tenure to leasehold. This policy note argues for a middle way forward. By formalising the collective ownership of customary land in two levels, primary and secondary rights, instead of converting it to exclusively individual leasehold estates, Zambian authorities can enhance the rights of primary claimants, without excluding secondary land rights holders from their livelihood bases
What evidence exists on the effects of public policy interventions for achieving environmentally sustainable food consumption? : A systematic map protocol
No full textBackground: The global food system is causing considerable environmental harm. A transition towards more sustainable consumption is needed. Targeted public policy interventions are crucial for stimulating such transition. While there is extensive research about the promotion of more environmentally sustainable food consumption, this knowledge is scattered across different sources. This systematic map aims to collate and describe the available evidence on public policy interventions such as laws, directives, taxes and information campaigns, for achieving sustainable food consumption patterns. Methods: We will search bibliographic databases, specialist websites, Google Scholar and bibliographies of relevant reviews. Searches for academic literature will be performed in English, while searches for grey literature will be performed in English, Swedish, Danish and Norwegian. Screening, including consistency checking exercises, will be done at two levels: title and abstract, and full text. We will use machine learning algorithms to support screening at the title and abstract level. Coding and meta-data extraction will include bibliographic information, policy details and context, and measured environmental outcome(s). The evidence base will be summarised narratively using tables and graphs and presented as an online interactive searchable database and a website that will allow for visualisation, filtering and exploring systematic map findings, knowledge gaps and clusters
Editorial: Livestock Systems in Urbanizing Environments: Impacts and Implications for Food Security in Developing Countries
No full textAfrica’s Food Security under the Shadow of the Russia-Ukraine Conflict
No full textThe Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has emerged as an exogenous shock to global food supply chains, which foreshadows worrying impacts on Africa’s food security and nutrition, and threaten to derail national and global efforts to end hunger and poverty and to achieve sustainable development goals on the continent. This article provides an early assessment of the implications of the invasion for Africa’s food supply chains and food security. Two particularly aggravating factors, which explain the current and likely future impact of the invasion on Africa’s food security are discussed: the timing of the invasion and the two parties involved in the conflict. The article underlines four major channels by which the invasion disrupts African food supply chains: energy markets and shipping routes, availability and prices of agricultural production inputs, domestic food price inflation, and trade sanctions and other financial measures. In addition, the article considers the risk of social and political unrest that disruption to food supply chains and spikes in domestic food prices may inflame. Finally, the paper briefly discusses options for short- and long-term responses by African governments and their development partners to mitigate the repercussions of the conflict on food supply chains, boost food and nutrition security, and build resilience of Africa’s food system
Counter-terrorism has to be transborder and address root causes : joint efforts key as jihadist violence spills over into Burkina Faso, Benin and Niger
No full textThe spiral of violence in the Sahel is threatening to engulf the biosphere reserve in the cross-border territory shared by Burkina Faso, Benin and Niger. The rising violence is causing massive displacement and all three countries should respond jointly by mobilising and coordinating state armed forces to protect affected populations. But a joint military response is not enough. The three states should also collaborate to address the root causes of the insecurity: the land and pastoralism crisis; inconsistency in the distribution of forest resources; and a poorly integrated approach to managing the biosphere reserve
Women, peace and security strategies at the horseshoe table : the elected ten UN Security Council members advancing the WPS agenda
No full textThe five permanent members (P5) of the UN Security Council have a lot of power – thanks largely to their right of veto, but also on account of other advantages. To curb the imbalance in power and strengthen their position, the ten elected (E10), non-permanent members should collaborate more and share their experiences – both among themselves and with the next group of E10 states waiting to replace them. One of the best means of gaining influence is to work with civil society. There are different ways of doing this, and many have shown themselves to be constructive in advancing the agenda for women, peace and security (WPS)