Book Launch - How Africa Eats By David Luke

The world is producing enough food to ensure no one goes hungry, so why is a fifth of the African population facing food insecurity and malnourishment? Why do images and reports of starving and malnourished Africans appear so often in the media? What are the actual dimensions of the problem? What has trade and climate got to do with it? In ‘How Africa Eats: Trade, Food Security and Climate Risks’, award-winning author David Luke and a team of researchers seek to answer these questions, to explain why Africa struggles with food security and what can be done about it. The intersection between trade, agriculture policies, and climate risks is fundamental to this enquiry.

David Luke is professor in practice and strategic director at the Firoz Lalji Institute for Africa and Extraordinary Professor at North-West University in South Africa. Specialising in African trade policy and trade negotiations, Professor Luke has decades of experience in policy advisory services, managing and catalysing research, building partnerships, training and capacity development for private sector and government. This experience stems from an extensive career spanning a tenured appointment at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada, and assignments at the African Union, the UN Development Programme and the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) with postings in Harare, Pretoria, Geneva, and Addis Ababa. At ECA’s African Trade Policy Centre, Professor Luke and his team were instrumental in the preparation of the protocols that make up the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement. 

Alongside David, Estelle Uba will be moderating discussion throughout the book launch. Estelle Uba is multimedia journalist, researcher, media entrepreneur, and communications specialist whose work centres on racial justice, Black communities, and culturally grounded storytelling. Estelle has written for publications including The Guardian, The Voice, and Refinery29, and is also the co-founder of Culture in Motion, a Pan-African storytelling platform exploring stories, history and culture across the African diaspora. Her experience spans journalism, community organising, and strategic communications, including leading the Social Media & Communications team at Young Africa Centre.

David and Estelle will be working together to navigate discussion around the continent’s food insecurity in the face of urgent threats from climate change, trade barriers and complex policy challenges.

Please join us in both celebrating Professor David Luke’s work and deepening this discussion on the 12th of March at 6:00pm at the Africa Centre.