Even before the COVID-19 crisis, the African food system was ailing.
Crises like these shock the system, causing crop and food losses, pushing people into poverty and putting more people at risk of severe food insecurity and malnutrition.
Going back to "business as usual" investments in agriculture and food systems could reproduce those systems' inequities.
Here we outline three ways to improve agriculture in line with the sustainable development goals: to make systems resilient, sustainable and fair.
Kai Mausch, Senior Economist, World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF); Michael Hauser, Principal Scientist and Theme Leader for Markets, Institutions, Nutrition and Diversity, CGIAR System Organization; Todd Rosenstock, Senior Scientist, Agriculture and the Environment, World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), and Wanjiku Gichohi-Wainaina, Public health nutritionist , CGIAR System Organization
