Pulse Brain · Growing Health Evidence Index
Tier 3 — Observational / field trialPeer-reviewed

The impact of population growth and climate change on food security in Africa: looking ahead to 2050

Charlotte Hall, Terence P. Dawson, Jennie I. Macdiarmid, Robin Matthews, Pete Smith

International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability · 2017

Read source ↗ All evidence

Summary

Hall et al. applied the FEEDME modelling framework to project food security outcomes across 44 African countries to 2050, accounting for population growth and climate change scenarios. The analysis reveals that rapid population growth is the dominant driver of projected food insecurity and undernourishment, with climate change contributing minimal additional effect. The authors discuss adaptation strategies including yield gap closure through sustainable intensification and trade/aid agreements as potential mitigation approaches.

UK applicability

This study focuses on African food security and has limited direct applicability to UK agricultural or nutritional contexts. However, the findings underscore global food system interdependencies and the importance of yield improvements and trade arrangements, which may inform UK food policy and international development priorities.

Key measures

Undernourishment prevalence; food availability; impacts under different climate scenarios (IPCC SRES projections); population growth projections

Outcomes reported

The study modelled the impacts of future climate change and population growth on food availability and undernourishment prevalence across 44 African countries by 2050 using the FEEDME modelling framework. Projections indicate that population growth will be the dominant driver of food insecurity, with climate change effects showing minimal additional impact on undernourishment.

Theme
Climate & resilience
Subject
Food security & global nutrition
Study type
Research
Study design
Modelling study
Source type
Peer-reviewed study
Status
Published
Geography
International
System type
Food supply chain
DOI
10.1080/14735903.2017.1293929
Catalogue ID
BFmor3g9dh-euqsqp

Topic tags

Pulse AI · ask about this record

Dig deeper with Pulse AI.

Pulse AI has read the whole catalogue. Ask about this record, its theme, or how the findings apply to UK farming and policy — every answer cites the underlying studies.