Fighting

A man removes a landmine in Mozambique

In many African countries more money has been spent on buying weapons and training soldiers than helping farmers.

It's often difficult for people to find food in areas where there is fighting.

This happened in Sierra Leone, where conflict stopped food getting in.

In Ethiopia in the 1980s, government forces burned fields, spoiled food that was being stored and contaminated water.

This led to loads of refugees searching for safety, food and water.

It is also impossible to grow crops in areas where there are land mines. With less food available, prices go up and poverty increases.