Concluding Thoughts

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I hope over these 8 blog entries I have brought attention to the various problems which Africa faces regarding food security, and the potential solutions available. I believe a mixture of GM crops, virtual water and increasing irrigation potential is the way forward for Africa coupled with introducing stricter legislation and fines for illegal fishing. There is an abundance of arable land available in Africa, but the lack of sophisticated irrigation available reduces agricultural potential, and therefore crop yields. Investment in research and development is key for Africa to unlock their agricultural potential, as with research and development come new, innovative ideas such as hybrid crop varieties, new irrigation schemes and more advanced water harvesting solutions. While the richer African countries may be able to rely on food imports or ‘virtual water’ crops, poorer African countries who rely on importing crops for food are subject to volatile price fluctuations and are often net water exporters as they export cash crops to richer countries, therefore increasing their water scarcity. Much of Africa is not ‘physically’ water scarce, but economically water scarce which I believe will continue unless there is a large increase in investment, innovation and research to unlock Africa’s lacking agricultural productivity.

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