The Future Africa Research Institute at the University of Pretoria is supporting the Coalition for Landscape-based Engagement, Adaptation and Resilience (CLEAR). This international coalition was formed in response to an urgent call to act on zero hunger, farmer prosperity and climate stability. It aims to confront the serious, imminent threats that face humankind in an effort to achieve greater food and nutrition security, while reducing damage to the environment.

The need for such a research partnership was prompted by the visible symptoms and effects of various global crises related to climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental degradation on food security. It is particularly the Global South and the poor that are the hardest hit, and who lack the resources to cope. Scientists and policy makers need to adopt nature-positive, regenerative approaches to agriculture and land management if they are to create a safe operating space from which to contribute to food and nutrition security and human wellbeing.

The objectives of this coalition are aligned to the vision of Future Africa, which is to collaborate with researchers across Africa and the globe to advance excellence in transdisciplinary research for sustainable development to transform the world through African research excellence. According to Prof Cheikh Mbow, Director of the Future Africa Research Institute, the multidisciplinary research partners with which the University of Pretoria is collaborating are already considering several topics and are engaged in various projects that can contribute to the objectives of the coalition, while striving for a better African future. Future Africa also participates in several continental and global initiatives that are focused on climate change, land management, sustainable agriculture and biodiversity.

Climate, Land, Agriculture and Biodiversity Africa (CLAB-Africa) is an initiative conceived by Future Africa to provide a platform for Africa’s scientific community to contribute to the developmental work of African governments and development institutions to address issues related to the impact of climate on food systems, among other research themes. The initiative’s African priorities include protecting biodiversity and ecosystems from further destruction, and addressing issues related to climate change and food security. Projects that form part of this initiative cover several cross-cutting themes, including the impact of climate on food systems, and land restoration and biodiversity. Key research areas relate to issues such as climate and agriculture, resilience and extreme climate events; land use, biodiversity, agriculture and nature-based solutions; innovation in land management, and land restoration in Africa; African ecosystems, health and wellbeing challenges; and health-food systems and the environment. 

Prof Cheikh Mbow, Director of the Future Africa Research Institute

Another initiative in which Future Africa is making an important contribution is the Food and Livelihood Resilience from Neglected and Underutilised Plant Species in Western Africa (FORENS) research project. This project focuses on neglected and underutilised species within the nexus of food security, climate change, health, rural livelihoods and environmental sustainability. Key to improving food systems is the focus on crops that are currently supported, particularly high-yielding varieties and monocultures. Prof Mbow stressed the importance of considering more diversity in food sources. He also explained that unsustainable land management practices and resource use result in lower yields. Ensuring that production systems are focused on ecological and soil conservation and the sustainable use of resources will lead to increased yields, and improved nutrition in developing countries.

Food-Nature-People is a third global initiative in which Future Africa participates. As part of this initiative, presented by the Centre for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF), in collaboration with the Global Landscapes Forum, a digital event was presented on 2 September 2021. 
This event, with the theme “Building thriving, sustainable food systems”, attracted more than 4 200 participants across the world, as well as another 1.9 million people on social media. It hosted a wide range of speakers who shared their knowledge and experiences to find practical solutions to address climate change and diversity, and to make food systems more equitable. Among the key messages of this event were that an alternative, nature-positive form of agriculture and land management is not only possible. It is already being practiced at scale. The Coalition for Landscape-based Engagement, Adaption and Resilience was an important outcome of this event.

Photo: Pixabay

Prof Mbow’s presentation at this event focused on landscapes approached implementation gaps. He explained that universal concerns do not always prioritise the specifics of vulnerable stakeholders. Demographic pressure is not a valid argument for environmental degradation. He also stressed that nutrition and diet can be improved without transforming new land for agriculture, and that scientists need to focus on multifunctionality, diversity and enhancing the use of neglected plants. He concluded that local knowledge and traditional practices have many of the solutions we need and are not that difficult to implement.

Reflecting on the contribution of Future Africa to the development of environmentally sound solutions that are responsive to climate change and can improve crop yields and food supply, Prof Mbow stresses the need for innovative, alternative solutions that will ensure that the supply of food meets the demand in Africa. He concludes that we need to accelerate food production in a sustainable manner and focus on becoming a net exporter of food instead of a net importer. Only then will we be able to feed the growing population on the African continent.