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Africa: UN Wants African Farmers Empowered
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The East African Standard (Nairobi)
9 May 2008
Posted to the web 8 May 2008
Edith Fortunate
Nairobi
Donors should empower Africa in food production instead of focusing on food relief, a UN official has said.
Prof Jeffrey Sachs, Special adviser to the UN Secretary General, Mr Ban Ki-Moon, on Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), said Africa requires Sh650 billion ($10 billion) annually to boost food productivity.
In an exclusive interview with The Standard in Nairobi on Thursday, Sachs said one of the major causes of global food crisis was that farmers in poor countries, especially in Africa, could hardly afford quality seeds, fertilisers and irrigation methods.
"Donor States should stop giving food aid to Africa, rather they should invest in farmers who are capable of producing food," he said.
He added: "The best thing at the moment would be to help them get seeds, fertiliser, small scale irrigation through grants initially, turning into credits after two or three years, as these farmers build up some assets."
He cited Malawi as an example, which has greatly benefited from farming investments.
His statement comes at a time when there is a global food crisis and the prices are soaring.
"Right now these countries are trapped in poverty. The result is that impoverished farmers in Africa, for example, are growing about one third of the food supply that they could.
They could increase the productivity if only they could get access to these basic inputs," said Sachs.
He noted that chronic hunger afflicts about a billion people on the planet, and recommended financing the poorest farmers, with a special focus on Africa.
Africa, he said, needed the fund to increase their productivity.
"The explosion in food prices has been the result of a rising world demand, the failures of crops in Australia and Europe in the 2005-2006 season.
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The diversion of crops to bio fuels, especially in Europe and the United States, and the low inventories in the world, have aggravated the problem," said Sachs.
The economist, also an author, said: "Citizens of rich countries need to at least spare Sh650 ($10 per year) per person to solve the food insecurity and the soaring prices."
Sachs had earlier met President Kibaki and discussed the way forward on the food crisis.
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