Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has reminded us how interdependent and fragile global supply chains are, creating stress for the world’s poor by hindering efforts to fight poverty, food insecurity and famine. This is taking a particularly heavy toll on many African countries.

To compound this further, there is an issue specifically related to the African continent that deserves attention: the design and modus operandi of mainstream rural development. Many decades of discussion and research have evidenced that too much of the aid sent to Africa fails to achieve a lasting impact.

Nothing in nature goes to waste; its circularity is what maintains it. Circularity is what we need to
achieve with our economy. As well as making sense environmentally, it can create new and decent jobs,
and positively impact disadvantaged communities.
A circular economy underpins sustainable long-term growth and makes good business sense. Second
life is given to products or their components through recycling and reusing. Their life cycle is extended,
creating secondary markets, and waste becomes a raw material spurring new businesses that support
this process. This concept imitates nature, where everything has purpose and value; everything is used
and waste becomes a resource.

Food is not only nourishing and vital for our survival, but it also conjures up some of our most cherished memories. As the world contemplates food insecurity issues brought on by climate change, the inefficiency of our food supply system and political tensions, investing in a safe and secure food future resonates with all of us, governments and individuals alike.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the world’s leading producer of sunflower seeds, the sixth producer of corn, and the ninth producer of wheat and soy, shows us, in addition to the devastation of the Ukraine war, that our food supply systems are fragile.