Director of the Center for African Studies participated in the panel discussion organized by the ICRC

On April 3, 2025, the regional delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus hosted an expert discussion “Food Security in Africa: Humanitarian Challenges and Possible Solutions”. Among the participants of the English-language event were officials and business representatives, international and academic organizations working in Africa. Andrey Maslov, Director of the Center for African Studies, made a report on food sovereignty issues.

During his report, Andrey Maslov elaborated on efforts made by key players to address the food challenges in Africa, as well as on measures that are yet to be implemented. Commenting on the structure of Russian-African trade, he noted that 85% of the trade turnover is made up of Russian exports, of which 25% are cereals and another 22% are oil and petroleum products.

Maslov also spoke about the expert and analytical publication Africa 2025: Prospects and Challenges, published in 2024. Attention is given to sovereignty in almost all chapters of the Handbook, including food sovereignty, raised in the chapter Food to Africa: From Food Security to Food Sovereignty. The chapter discusses the relationship between population growth and hunger, Africa's role in world food markets, food habits, the role of fertilizers, etc.

“Food situation in Africa is not deteriorating, but rather is not improving fast enough”, - Andrey Maslov emphasized.

“It confirms the need for African countries to develop their own food strategy, with an active role of local, regional and national players, as well as state support measures,” - he concluded.

Maslov also noted that Russia's status as a leading food exporter provides it with an opportunity for experience & knowledge sharing that is necessary for effective agricultural management and food security. The introduction of Russian technological solutions such as geographic information systems (GIS), drones for agriculture, and smart irrigation systems will optimize production, improve forecasting, minimize losses and improve resource allocation. These advantages are creating demand for Russian digital products to be imported in Africa. This information and expert-analytical work between Russia, Africa and international organizations serves as a great dialogue platform.