2025 Predictions and Realities III

Thoughts from Ceaser Siwale

Food Security: A Global Challenge

Prediction: Technological innovations, including AI-driven agricultural systems, are expected to increase food production and reduce waste significantly, ensuring global food security.

Reality: While AI transforms agriculture with precision farming and improved crop monitoring, the impacts are unevenly distributed. Regions like Sub-Saharan Africa, where agriculture remains largely subsistence-based, struggle to adopt these advancements due to high costs and limited infrastructure. The Russia-Ukraine war, a major disruptor of global grain supply chains, has further intensified food insecurity in import-dependent regions. Ukraine, one of the world’s largest exporters of wheat, corn, and sunflower oil, has seen its agricultural output plummet, forcing nations in Africa and the Middle East to scramble for alternatives at higher costs.

Climate change exacerbates these challenges. In Africa, prolonged droughts and erratic rainfall patterns undermine agricultural productivity and increase dependency on food imports. The Horn of Africa is experiencing one of the worst droughts in decades, leaving millions at risk of famine. Globally, rising temperatures and extreme weather events are shrinking arable land, further complicating efforts to achieve food security. These crises underline the urgency of investing in climate-resilient crops, sustainable farming practices, and localised food production systems.