Biodiversity, Local Food System in Africa Impacted by Rapid Urbanization Through Dietary Shifts [Study]

Urbanization is parallel to modernization as human settlements continue to develop and expand. This process evidently affects rural or agricultural lands, which are replaced by slabs of concrete and materials needed for homes and infrastructure. Globally, many countries over the past 200 years have witnessed this urban-to-rural shift, paving the way for modern cities and towns that we know today.

However, it has long been known that the development and expansion of urban areas have a cost, especially when it comes to wildlife, agriculture, and ecosystem. This phenomenon is occurring even in developing countries outside North America and Europe. In Africa, a recent study revealed that the continent's biodiversity and local food system are impacted by rapid urbanization, mainly through dietary shifts.

How is Urbanization Caused?

Urbanization is the shift from a rural landscape into a modern urban jungle, as mentioned earlier. The process also pertains to the increase in human population living in towns and cities, according to The Open University in the United Kingdom. Urbanization happens because of local or rural-urban migration where people move from rural areas or provinces to a country's capital and other cities.

According to The World Bank, the global urban population is more than 50% and this means that over half of the world's population are living in urban areas as of 2024. This figure is equivalent to approximately 4.4 billion people living in cities, a trend which is expected to continue in the coming decades. By the year 2045, this rate is projected to increase by 1.5 times, The World Bank adds.

African Food System and Biodiversity

Since urbanization affects agricultural or natural lands via expanding cities, the availability of local food and the health of ecosystems is also degraded. This is according to previous research, which suggests that urbanization decreases local food production and increases biodiversity losses. A similar case has been reported before in South America's Amazon rainforest due to deforestation and land use.

In the study published in the journal Nature Sustainability on May 30, researchers from Belgium and other countries found that the African food system and biodiversity is mainly affected by urban area expansion across the continent. Specifically, dietary shifts like increasing rice consumption have been linked with urbanization. This is because inhabitants in African cities eat more rice and the latter needs to be produced more.

The increase in demand means changes in processes associated with food production such as elevated methane emissions and changes in water usage, leading to loss of agricultural lands and even biodiversity. According to the May 2024 research paper, the subject matter of land-use displacement and its effect on biodiversity is often overlooked.

Authors of the paper are hoping that their research findings about the African food system and biodiversity could guide policymakers, especially when it comes to land-use planning in the context of urbanization, in relation to the environment.