AB086. Planetary health and food sustainability in Africa: opportunities, challenges and strategic pathway

Background: Africa has tremendous potential for sustainable food production but also faces significant barriers like socioeconomic inequality, climate change, and environmental degradation, which threaten planetary health and food security. This study examines the nexus between planetary health and food sustainability and identifies opportunities, challenges, and strategic interventions to improve food systems in Africa.

Methods: We conducted a comprehensive literature search of peer-reviewed articles on PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases and publicly available grey literature to analyze the state of food sustainability across Africa with no limit to publication date. Using an analytical approach, data from eligible studies were extracted and categorized thematically, followed by a narrative synthesis approach to integrate and summarize the findings under relevant headings.

Results: Findings reveal that traditional agricultural practices like agroforestry, intercropping, crop rotation, and rotational grazing are crucial for preserving ecological integrity and enhancing soil fertility. However, climate change has significantly impacted agricultural productivity, with sub-Saharan Africa experiencing a 33% decline in productivity growth over the past decade. Environmental stressors, such as deforestation, unsustainable land use, and loss of biodiversity, have increased food insecurity and threatened livelihoods. Technological advancements like climate-smart agriculture, artificial intelligence (AI)-driven precision farming, greenhouse and vertical farming, digital agriculture platforms, and Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled devices are promising solutions. However, their adoption is limited by high costs, poor infrastructure, and lack of technical training. Socioeconomic disparities persist, with smallholder farmers facing limited access to credit, quality seeds, fertilizers, and land tenure security. Policy and governance challenges include the fragmented implementation of regional frameworks, underfunded agricultural sectors, and weak institutional capacity.

Conclusions: Strengthening local food systems, promoting equitable resource access, investing in climate-smart technologies, and fostering international cooperation are crucial for food sustainability in Africa, enhancing resilience, reducing hunger, and promoting global health.

Keywords: Environmental sustainability; food security; food sustainability; planetary health; sustainable food systems