Africa, climate and food: How to feed a continent without increasing its carbon footprint

Africa’s agrifood systems emit nearly 2.9 billion tons of CO₂ equivalent every year—more than a quarter of global agricultural emissions. An international study compares Africa’s trajectory with China’s and proposes concrete solutions—from water management in rice paddies to modernizing logistics chains—to produce more food without damaging the climate. These analyses were conducted by researchers Xia Li, Yumei Zhang, Shenggen Fan (China Agricultural University) and Issa Ouedraogo (Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT).