Africa urged to boost domestic funding for food security as climate risks mount

NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 29 – African governments have been urged to increase domestic funding for food security and nutrition programmes, with policymakers and development partners warning that climate shocks, water mismanagement and underinvestment are threatening the continent’s food systems.

Speaking during the 17th Africa Day for Food and Nutrition Security, officials called for governments to move beyond policy commitments and allocate resources towards climate-smart agriculture, nutritious local foods, school feeding programmes and stronger markets for smallholder farmers.

Delegates argued that integrating agriculture, health, water management and nutrition into national development plans would be critical to building resilient food systems and accelerating economic growth.

George Esunge Fominyen, the World Food Programme (WFP) Representative to the African Union and the UN Economic Commission for Africa, said water, food security and nutrition should be addressed as interconnected challenges rather than separate policy priorities.

“Very few meals can be prepared without water,” Fominyen said.

“The crops we grow, and the animals we raise, depend on it.”

He warned that climate shocks and pressure on water resources could deepen hunger and malnutrition, particularly in communities already affected by conflict, displacement and economic hardship.

Fominyen called for coordinated interventions linking sustainable water management with climate-resilient agriculture, food markets, social protection and stronger national institutions.

He also cited school feeding programmes as a practical way to connect nutrition, education, agriculture and local economic development by providing reliable markets for smallholder farmers while improving children’s access to nutritious meals.

Agriculture Principal Secretary Paul Rono called for a shift in how African countries approach food production, preparation and consumption, arguing that food security should be measured by nutritional value as well as availability.

He said Africa needed to move away from diets dominated by starchy foods towards more nutritious and diverse meals.

Rono also challenged perceptions about water scarcity, saying the continent needed to improve how it manages and stores available water resources.

“Let us have a different approach and understanding on action taken on sustainable food systems,” Rono said.

“Africa has no problem with water; the problem is water management.”

Rono emphasized water harvesting as a critical intervention for supporting agricultural production, particularly amid increasingly unpredictable weather patterns.

Delegates called on governments and development partners to expand young people’s access to productive resources, technology, markets and decent employment in agriculture.

Nhlawulo Shikwambane representing the youth said young people should participate directly in shaping agricultural policies and investment decisions rather than being excluded from the processes determining the sector’s future.

She urged stakeholders to translate commitments into investments that strengthen local food systems, support farmers and create opportunities for young people and women.

The World Health Organization Kenya Country Manager Betty Lanyero, stressed the links between health and agriculture, calling for nutrition to be integrated into public budgets and for increased investment in locally produced nutritious foods and child nutrition.

She said stronger accountability, domestic financing and cross-sector partnerships would be necessary to turn continental food security strategies into measurable improvements in household nutrition, agricultural productivity and economic resilience.