by CARE Austria Team, on behalf of FoSTA-Health
October 16, 2024

Countries such as Malawi, South Africa, Zambia and Tanzania are facing the challenge of making their food systems crisis-proof in order to reduce hunger in the region and provide healthy food for the population. FoSTA-Health is paving the way for more sustainable agriculture and food security in Southern Africa.  

Vienna, 15th October 2024. Climate change is having a devastating impact on the countries of Southern Africa. Increasingly frequent droughts and floods are destroying crops, decimating livestock and exacerbating the food crisis in the region, hitting women and girls particularly hard. Countries such as Malawi, South Africa, Zambia and Tanzania are faced with the challenge of making their food systems crisis-proof, which means making them ecologically sustainable, socially just and healthy. A change in agriculture is urgently needed to protect the health of people, animals and the environment, and to ensure the survival of millions. This is where the FoSTA-Health project, co-financed by Horizon Europe and UKRI, comes in. CARE Austria is part of this project, which is researching solutions and concrete measures to improve food security in Malawi, Zambia, South Africa and Tanzania.

Extreme weather threatens livelihoods

The region is suffering from the worst drought in 100 years – fuelled by climate change and El Niño. Around 70% of smallholder farmers are dependent on rain-fed agriculture. In Malawi, 44 per cent of agricultural land is affected by drought, while maize production in Zambia has fallen by almost 50 per cent compared to the past five years. As maize is an important staple food, the crop failures are leading to dramatic price increases. ‘The current food systems in Southern Africa are vulnerable to climate-related shocks. This not only leads to food insecurity, but also exacerbates existing socio-economic inequalities and health problems,’ explains Stephen Whitfield, Professor of Climate, Agriculture and Food at the University of Leeds, scientific director of the project. 

Research for a new food system 

The FoSTA-Health project therefore pursues an integrative approach that combines ecological sustainability with social justice: How can agriculture and food consumption be organized to benefit people, animals and the environment? The focus is on the transformation of maize -heavy food systems to include more diverse diets, more efficient land and water use, and better connectivity to export markets. The aim of the research is to find out how food security can be achieved in the long term, without exacerbating ecological or social problems: ‘It is crucial that all those involved – from farmers to political decision-makers – understand the advantages and disadvantages of the scenarios designed for the future of food systems and develop solutions together,’ emphasizes Whitfield. 

Focus on women and girls

CARE particularly supports women and girls, who bear the main burden of food production for their families but often have limited access to land, resources and education. As part of the project, women farmers receive training and technical support to promote more sustainable farming methods.

Knowledge Sharing

In Malawi, smallholder farmers participating in the project – over 60 per cent of whom are women – are already benefiting from new farming methods that they are being tried out on test beds. ‘The test beds, where new practices such as intercropping maize are being trialled, have helped many farmers to increase their crop yields and eat a more balanced diet,’ reports Anthony J. Malunga, Research Advisor for FoSTA-Health at CARE Malawi. The knowledge gained will subsequently be shared with agricultural advisors from the national authorities to reach broader sections of the population.