Food security of continent a joint goal

Africa's population is projected to reach approximately 2.4 billion by 2050, compared with the estimate for 2025 of about 1.5 billion, according to projections by the African Development Bank Group.

This growth means Africa will account for about 25 percent of the global population by 2050.

The continent will also have the world's youngest and fastest-growing population, with about 62 percent of the population being between 15 and 64 years old by 2050. Furthermore, the population is projected to reach approximately 4 billion people by 2100.

With this rapidly growing population and increased urbanization, the challenging question that lingers among many leaders in Africa, as well as policymakers, development partners and other stakeholders, is who will feed the booming African population and sustainably ensure that food security is attained on the continent.

Reflecting on this looming challenge brings to mind Lester R.Brown, the United States environmental analyst and founder of the Worldwatch Institute, whose 1995 book Who Will Feed China? Wake-Up Call for a Small Planet sparked global debate on food security. Brown argued that as water scarcity intensified in a country where nearly 80 percent of grain production was irrigated, and as agricultural land continued to shrink due to industrialization and urban expansion, China's ability to sustain its population growth would be severely tested.

Brown warned that in an increasingly integrated world economy, food insecurity, if it occurred in China, could have global repercussions, such as rising food prices, and land and water scarcity. In addition, ecological issues would no longer be confined to within national borders.

However, Brown's assertions have since been largely debunked. Through strategic governance and policy innovation, China has remarkably enhanced its food security, achieving near self-sufficiency for its vast population, and has lifted more than 850 million people out of extreme poverty — the largest poverty reduction achievement in human history. This success has been driven by comprehensive reforms focused on farmland protection, innovative and technological advancements in agriculture, and effective management of food supply chains, offering valuable lessons to countries in the Global South, including Africa, as they confront their own food security challenges in the 21st century.

Today, China continues to be the engine driving agricultural cooperation to enhance food security in Africa. Over the past decades, China has helped African countries improve food security by direct assistance such as grain supply, and by other forms of assistance, including the transfer of agricultural technology and expertise. During the 2024 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, China launched the Food Production Enhancement Action under the Global Development Initiative, as well as Phase III of the China-FAO South-South Cooperation Trust Fund, to help African countries achieve agricultural modernization and food security.

What's more, China has been at the forefront of supporting African countries in adopting modern agricultural technologies and equipment to enhance crop productivity. This includes the application of synthetic biology, biological breeding, gene editing and artificial intelligence technologies to create new, high-yield seeds for key crops.

For instance, in Zambia, China launched the second phase of a capacity-building program in July to advance its effort to improve food security and agricultural efficiency in Africa. The launch took place at the Chibombo Farm and the Sinazongwe Farm and was carried out by China's State Administration for Market Regulation as part of the China-Africa program on quality enhancement.

The focus of the program is to improve standardized farming techniques for essential crops such as wheat, maize, chili peppers and marigolds. The program will also provide training to more than 500 local agricultural managers and technicians through workshops, practical demonstrations and competitive knowledge assessments.

In Angola, China's Sinohydro Group announced an investment of over $100 million in agriculture. The Sino-Angolan partnership aims to accelerate the development of logistics and agricultural infrastructure in Angola, aligning with the Angolan government's strategy to revive industrial-scale farming and reduce dependence on food imports.

Sinohydro also plans to build a seed research and testing center to enhance crop yields and attract further Chinese agribusiness investments. Furthermore, a subsidiary of China International Trust and Investment Corp has committed to investing $250 million to establish large-scale soybean and corn farms in Angola. The investment will develop 100,000 hectares of farmland in Angola, making it one of the largest Chinese agricultural investments in the country. The project will focus on large-scale soybean and corn farming, with land-clearing already underway on 3,000 hectares in Cuanza Norte province and 5,000 hectares in the town of Malanje.

These projects, cutting across the continent, demonstrate China's commitment to enhancing Africa's food security and production capacity. In addition, they are creating jobs, improving rural infrastructure, and promoting the use of innovative research and development strategies to further increase agricultural productivity. Indeed, Africa, in partnership with China, is on the right track to feeding its growing population.

The author is executive director of the China-Africa Center at the Africa Policy Institute, a Nairobi-based think tank.

The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.