Governments in sub-Saharan Africa face a dilemma: how to reconcile pledges to feed fast-growing populations with forest conservation? Under Sustainable Development Goal 2 (end hunger, achieve food security etc), African countries aim to fully meet domestic food demand by 2030 — projected to be 70 percent higher than in 2010. At the same time, under Sustainable Development Goal 15 (sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems etc), countries aim to reduce and then halt deforestation, which, in sub-Saharan Africa, is mainly driven by the need to grow more food. Since imports, waste reduction and yield increases are rarely sufficient to meet future food demand, agriculture will continue to expand at the expense of forests. Based on research in Ethiopia, Ghana and Tanzania, this briefing provides pointers towards better managing the inevitable trade-offs, emphasising the importance of addressing governance and political economy issues alongside technical aspects.
Related Case Studies
Although forest covers 40 per cent of Nepal, the forestry sector’s potential to generate huge employment opportunities is largely untapped. Private sector involvement and investment could create 1.38 million work days a year. But certain policies and administrative hurdles hinder both community and private investment in the sector. The lack...
Our decreasing forest landscapes are under huge pressure to deliver local and global needs, from a village’s food and firewood to mitigating climate change. With demand unlikely to fall, the key issue is how we extract what we need. Governments are faced with two contrasting business models: the profit-maximising, often...
The ways in which people obtain land in Uganda are changing fast. Land that used to be secured through inheritance, gifts or proof of long-term occupancy is now more commonly changing hands in the market. Those with wealth and powerful connections are frequently able to override local rules and gain...
In Mozambique, changes in land access and use are shaping new landscapes, often at the expense of the poor. Despite progressive land legislation, elite groups and vested interests are consolidating land holdings while peasant producers are being dispossessed of their land and access to fertile plots is becoming increasingly difficult...