DEBT DISTRESS AND THE RIGHT TO FOOD IN AFRICA

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More than half of low-income countries are at risk of debt distress or have already defaulted. The debt crisis, while exacerbated by recent crises, has been looming for several years. According to the United Nations, 3.3 billion people now live in countries that spend more on interest repayments than on education or health, and in sub-Saharan Africa, governments are spending 53 percent of revenue on debt servicing.

What do these debt trends mean for efforts to address food insecurity and uphold citizens’ right to food? Twenty years after the adoption of the Voluntary Guidelines on the Right to Food (RtF) by the UN Food and Agricultural Organization, many countries that adopted RtF in their constitutions still face high levels of food and nutrition insecurity. Although the Guidelines incorporate clear guidance on pursuing debt relief to allow for the progressive realization of the RtF, debt repayments and austerity measures, combined with insufficient local revenue mobilization, force governments to re-prioritize scarce resources and undermine investments in food system transformation.

In the run-up to the International Development Association (IDA) Replenishment Forum in October 2024 and the release of the African Union’s post-Malabo agenda in early 2025, this policy seminar brings together speakers from international and African organizations to examine the impacts of the debt crisis on realizing the RtF in Africa and consider solutions to protect and progressively realize those rights.

Opening Remarks

• Danielle Resnick, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI

Panel Discussion

• Michael Windfuhr, Deputy Director, German Institute for Human Rights; Member of Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
• Diana Gichengo, Executive Director, The Institute for Social Accountability, Kenya; Member of African Forum and Network on Debt and Development (AFRODAD)
• Geeta Sethi, Global Lead for Food Systems, The World Bank Group
• Jennifer Clapp, University Professor & Canada Research Chair, IPES-Food and University of Waterloo, Canada
• Nick Jacobs, Consulting Director, IPES-Food

Closing Remarks

• Michael Gabriel, Director of Strategic Partnerships, US and Canada, Welthungerhilfe (WHH)

Moderator

• Charlotte Hebebrand, Director of Communications and Public Affairs, IFPRI