How Africa Eats is free to read and download from the LSE Press website via this link: https://doi.org/10.31389/lsepress.hae

In his online address to the IIEA, award-winning author, Professor David Luke discusses his forthcoming publication, How Africa Eats: Trade, Food Security and Climate Risks. The book examines in detail what Africa eats and where and how it is produced. Despite holding 60% of the world’s arable land area, up to one quarter of the African population experiences severe food insecurity. As editor, Professor Luke has brought together experts in trade policy, international law, and development to scrutinise how finance, investment, foreign aid, institutions, actors, and capacities have interacted with policies in preventing Africa from becoming an agricultural powerhouse.

In his address, Professor Luke sets forth the urgent threats of climate change, trade barriers, and policy challenges facing the African continent in terms of food security. Professor Luke will examine the role of the EU as Africa’s most important trade partner and investor and assess whether the EU’s Global Gateway initiative has had – or could have – an impact on Africa’s food production systems and capacities.

David Luke is Professor in Practice and Strategic Director at the LSE’s 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, and 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. His PhD in African Political Economy is from the School of Oriental and African Studies, and his MSc and BSc are from the London School of Economics and Political Science. His research and teaching interests are in the areas of trade in development; trade and inclusion; and trade and sustainability. He is also a member of the board of TradeMark Africa.