Leading scientists have sounded an urgent call to transform food systems across Africa as a critical strategy to halt and reverse the continent’s severe land degradation crisis, a step essential for mitigating climate change, preserving biodiversity, and securing sustainable livelihoods. Africa faces some of the harshest land degradation worldwide, with about 46% of its territory already affected, threatening more than half of cultivated land by 2050 if current trends persist. This degradation undermines agricultural productivity, exacerbates food insecurity, and fuels social challenges including poverty and forced migration.

A landmark scientific article published on Nature, recently emphasized that rapid, integrated reforms in food production, consumption, and waste management hold the key to restoring Africa’s degraded lands and improving environmental and human health. Among the bold pathways laid out, the authors highlight that restoring 50% of degraded land through sustainable management practices could involve more than 13 million square kilometers of cropland and other ecosystems. Crucially, these efforts must empower Indigenous Peoples, women, smallholder farmers, and vulnerable communities—the stewards of much of Africa’s agricultural landscape—by improving their access to technology, securing land rights, and redirecting subsidies toward sustainable practices.

Food waste reduction is another paramount area for impact. Food systems currently waste about one-third of what they produce globally, and cutting waste by 75% could spare approximately 13 million square kilometers of farmland—a vast saving roughly comparable to the area of Africa itself. Targeted policies like banning the rejection of imperfect produce, improving supply chain logistics, encouraging donations, and educating consumers on waste reduction can drive these gains.

The study further underscores the importance of integrating land and marine food systems. Transitioning from land-intensive and often unsustainable red meat production to sustainably sourced seafood, including farmed mussels and seaweed, could free over 17 million square kilometers of pasture and feed cropland. Seaweed cultivation, in particular, offers low-impact nutrition that simultaneously sequesters carbon and conserves freshwater resources—a boon for climate and ecosystems.

These recommendations are especially pertinent for African nations, where land degradation directly impacts food production and rural livelihoods. The financial consequences are staggering: soil erosion and nutrient loss currently cost Africa billions annually and threaten to strip away significant portions of its agricultural GDP without decisive intervention. However, investing in sustainable land management promises not only environmental recovery but economic gains up to seven times the cost of action, supporting food security and poverty alleviation continent-wide.

By linking sustainable food system transformation with land restoration, Africa can also align its progress with global commitments, including the United Nations’ Rio Conventions on desertification, biodiversity, and climate change, as well as the Sustainable Development Goals. Experts urge cohesive cooperation across governments and sectors to harness scientific knowledge, improve data tracking, and implement policies that place land stewardship and climate resilience at the heart of Africa’s future.

As one co-author remarked, land is not merely soil but a living ally that sustains biodiversity, cycles water, stores carbon, and underpins cultural heritage. Protecting and healing Africa’s land through food system reform is therefore not only an environmental imperative but a fundamental pathway to securing health, stability, and prosperity for current and future generations on the continent. The transformative potential of these integrated actions offers hope that Africa can bend the curve on land degradation and lead global efforts in building a resilient, thriving planet.

Africa Leads in Global Generosity

The Charities Aid Foundation’s (CAF) World Giving Report 2025 reveals compelling insights into global philanthropy trends, placing Ethiopia prominently at 22nd in the world for generosity, with its people donating an average of 1.51% of their income to charitable causes, direct aid, and religious giving in 2024. This achievement is part of a broader narrative highlighting Africa as the most generous continent globally, where individuals give a substantially higher share of their income compared to other regions.

Africa’s generosity is unmistakable in the 2025 report, which for the first time introduces a fair and inclusive measure of generosity across 101 countries and territories. Africans donated on average 1.54% of their income in 2024, more than double the 0.64% average in Europe and significantly higher than many other continents. This generosity transcends the economic challenges many African countries face, illustrating that giving is driven more by social and communal bonds than by wealth alone.

At 22nd place globally, Ethiopia’s donors contributed a notable 1.51% of their income, reflecting a strong culture of giving despite the country’s developmental challenges. Ethiopia exemplifies the continent’s spirit of generosity, which is often rooted in community solidarity and religious traditions. The report underscores that giving is multifaceted, encompassing direct giving to those in need, donations to charities, and religious giving — a particularly significant channel in African societies.

The World Giving Report highlights that almost three-quarters of Africans (72%) donated money in 2024, with 55% giving directly to people or families in need and 40% supporting religious organizations. The social fabric, informed by shared values and cultural norms, encourages giving as a communal responsibility. Religious encouragement plays a pivotal role; donors whose giving is motivated by religion tend to support more causes and give a higher percentage of their income—averaging 2.2%, compared to 1.4% among others—demonstrating that religious giving activates broader philanthropic behavior.

Ethiopia, together with many African nations, demonstrates this dynamic interplay between personal faith, community responsibility, and generosity, indicating a model where philanthropy forms a lifeline for vulnerable populations amid ongoing economic pressures and social needs.

The report also sheds light on the causes that globally engage donors, with children and young people being the most supported group worldwide, representing 29% of donors in 2024. African donors, including those in Ethiopia, tend to support a wide array of causes, averaging around three different causes per donor, reflecting a holistic approach to philanthropy. Environmental causes receive growing attention, with Africa seeing 13% of donors supporting them, driven by awareness of climate vulnerabilities impacting the continent. Neighboring countries like Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, and Uganda rank close to Ethiopia in generosity, all donating over 2% of their income on average, emphasizing the depth of giving in Africa.

Volunteering is another critical indicator of generosity where Africa takes a lead. Approximately 39% of Africans volunteered in 2024, dedicating an average of 14 hours and 30 minutes per person, far exceeding volunteering patterns in Europe and Asia. Religious organizations remain the most popular volunteering beneficiaries in Africa, reflecting the continent’s strong intertwining of faith and social support.

Ethiopia’s philanthropy and volunteerism landscape benefits from this cultural foundation, reinforcing social cohesion and community resilience. The report recounts stories from across Africa of how local philanthropy fills critical gaps left by constrained government resources, making giving a vital support system for sectors like health, education, and humanitarian aid.

The report also addresses broader global trends, noting that generosity tends to decrease as countries grow wealthier, with high-income countries donating just 0.7% of their income on average, and some of the least generous nations being among the wealthiest, such as Japan and Germany. In contrast, lower-income African nations, including Ethiopia, consistently show higher generosity levels, underpinning the continent’s leading role in global philanthropy despite financial constraints.

The findings emphasize the importance of social norms in fostering generosity. Countries where people cite strong social reasons—such as religious duty and community expectation—for giving donate nearly three times as much as those where such norms are weaker. Governments that encourage giving help establish these positive social norms without coercion, making people more likely to donate voluntarily. In Africa, where governments may face budget constraints, the role of individual and community generosity becomes even more crucial.

The World Giving Report 2025 also stresses the challenges charities face globally, especially amid declining government aid and rising humanitarian needs. For Ethiopia and many African nations, this means local philanthropy plays a vital role in supporting community-based and humanitarian efforts. The report highlights the importance of transparency and effective communication by charities to sustain trust and encourage continued giving.

“This research offers a window of opportunity,” says Jessie Krafft, President and CEO of CAF America. “The strength of giving in Africa, and Ethiopia in particular, demonstrates how philanthropy can be a powerful force to support the most vulnerable in times of crisis and uncertainty. Enhancing partnerships, fostering social norms, and harnessing local expertise are critical to building resilience.”

Ethiopia’s position in the World Giving Report is a testament not only to its citizens’ generosity but also to the deeper social values that underpin giving in Africa. As international aid faces cutbacks, the reliance on vibrant local giving cultures becomes ever more important, ensuring communities can weather challenges and build a sustainable future.

The Charities Aid Foundation’s World Giving Report 2025 invites policymakers, philanthropists, and civil society worldwide to learn from Africa’s stewardship of generosity and strengthen global philanthropy efforts by centering local context, culture, and connection. Ethiopia’s generosity stands as a leading example of how giving can flourish even in the face of adversity, inspiring a more equitable and supportive world community.

Premier Switch Solutions (PSS), in partnership with global payments leader MasterCard, has unveiled Ethiopia’s first locally verified, world-class online payment verification system, marking a new era in digital payment security for the country. The Verified Access Control Server (ACS), integrated with EMV 3-D Secure (3DS) 2.2 standards, is designed to combat the rising threat of digital payment fraud in Ethiopia’s rapidly expanding e-commerce market.

The launch comes at a crucial moment of transformation in Ethiopia’s digital economy, where securing online transactions has become paramount. PSS CEO Amha Tadesse highlighted the significance of the project, stating, “This launch sets a new national standard for domestic secure online payment. By pre-incorporating four member banks and building a digital ecosystem, we empower financial institutions, merchants, and customers to transact with confidence and integrity.”

The payment verification solution, built in partnership with MasterCard’s Identity Check platform, uses real-time risk assessment to detect and prevent fraudulent transactions. This advancement is expected to reduce payment returns or chargebacks, improve transaction approval rates, and bring Ethiopia’s payment infrastructure up to par with global security standards.

“This is a fundamental step towards establishing a secure, integrated, and future-ready digital payment platform for our people,” Tadesse added.

MasterCard’s Senior Vice President and Country Manager for East Africa and Indian Ocean Islands, Shehryar Ali, emphasized his company’s dedication to supporting Ethiopia’s digital transformation. “This initiative demonstrates MasterCard’s continued commitment to accelerating the digital transition,” Ali said. “By enhancing payment security and building trust, we are expanding access to finance and bringing more people into the digital economy.”

The Intergovernmental Authority for Development (IGAD) has issued a warning that member states in the Greater Horn of Africa are not fully leveraging their fisheries resources, leading to a substantial loss of economic and food security opportunities. During a three-day regional dialogue held in Addis Ababa from August 12 to 14, senior government officials, development partners, and private sector leaders highlighted the alarming gap between the region’s fish production capacity and actual output.

IGAD announced the creation of the IGAD Fisheries Forum Agency (IFFA), a specialized body aimed at coordinating regional fisheries management under IGAD’s Blue Economy agenda. Set to become operational in early 2026, the new agency will focus on combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, improving resource management, and fostering sustainable innovation.

Despite the region’s capacity to produce 3.17 million tons of fish annually from marine and inland waters, current production stands at just 985,000 tons—less than one-third of its potential. Moreover, average per capita fish consumption in the IGAD zone is only 2 kilograms per year, sharply trailing the global average of 21 kilograms, underscoring missed nutritional benefits.

Particularly concerning is Ethiopia’s fish production, which stands at a modest 18,000 tons annually, a fraction of what the country’s abundant water bodies could support. Ethiopia’s Minister of State for Agriculture, Fikeru Regasa, acknowledged this gap during the conference, noting, “We have prepared a 10-year master plan for the development of fisheries and aquaculture.” He hailed the establishment of the new fisheries coordination center as a “critical approach” to tackling collective challenges such as overfishing and climate change that affect all member states.

Daher Elmi, IGAD’s Director of Agriculture and Environment, emphasized the vast marine and freshwater resources across the region, which support millions through employment and food security. “Sustainable fisheries development requires collective action and a regional approach based on sustainability, collaboration, and innovation,” Elmi stated.

Djibouti and Somalia were also cited as producing well below their fisheries capacities. Ahmed Darar, Director of Fisheries from Djibouti’s Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, stressed the need to integrate monitoring, control, and surveillance (MCS) approaches especially for coastal and landlocked countries. He noted that funding remains a critical factor to effectively combat illegal fishing and marine pollution. Darar also stressed the importance of a treaty focused on curbing IUU fishing to safeguard the region’s marine resources.

The IGAD Fisheries Forum Agency will serve as a central hub coordinating fisheries management efforts across the seven member states: Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, and Uganda. The agency’s framework consists of four main pillars: knowledge and information management, scientific and socio-economic research, fisheries management, and development initiatives.