The Wire

Two years ago, more than 10 million people were affected by the food crisis in West Africa. Now millions of people in the same region are on the brink of starvation again. And while agencies are scrambling to get emergency aid to those who need it most, many are calling for a greater focus on eradicating food shortages in the long term.

One initiative gaining traction with small-scale farmers is the re-greening of their farmland with trees and shrubs. Several Africa-based agencies say boosting food production in this way is a vital step forward, but stress it needs to be accompanied by political leadership and other measures to support vulnerable groups.