Abubakar Ibrahim
9 July 2009
analysis
Abuja — In the last few days, small-scale farmers in Nigeria and other parts of the continent attempted to set the agenda, or better still, influence the agenda of heads of state and government who met in Sirte, the birth place of current AU chairman and president of Libya, Muammar Gaddaffi from June 30 to July 3.
The meeting, the 13th Assembly of the African Union Heads of State and Government which held under the theme: "Investing in Agriculture for Economic Growth and Food Security", led to the adoption of an African Plan of Action on Agriculture.
Coming on the heels of the world food crisis, the climate change challenges and the global financial crisis, many considered the AU HoS meeting very apt. Indeed, statistics on food scarcity, or insecurity in Africa are simply disheartening; out of the about 1 billion chronically hungry people worldwide, over 300 million are in Africa. The economic crisis that followed the global food crisis is expected to drive an additional 100 million people into absolute poverty.
Blame for the ugly scenario is largely attributed to poor investment on the sector. For example, while other continents have witnessed unprecedented growth in agricultural productivity in the 20th century largely because of strong government commitments to research and development (R&D) and support, African governments have on the other hand been known more for complacency over world food supply. This has manifested in decades of faltering public commitment to investment in agriculture, thereby hampering farmers' ability to cope with price volatility, climatic and economic shocks, or to pull out of poverty. But the rich countries acted the contrary and did not neglect their own agricultural sectors. For instance, while the USA and the EU invested annually an average of $17,765 and $7,614 per farm from 1986 to 2007, they invested a miniscule $1.01 (US) and $2.46 (EU) in small farms in poor countries over nearly the same period. For African countries, it was the worst as their investment in the sector paled into insignificance; insufficient in magnitude, inadequate in scope, and inequitably distributed, and therefore unable to address the needs of many agricultural communities, particularly those of smallholders, women and workers in marginalized areas.
With the renewed interest in agriculture as the foundation for poverty and hunger reduction following the 2008 food crisis, there has been increased donors investment but truncated by the global financial crisis and tailing recession. For instance, out of the $12 billion promised by rich nations to support poor nations following the food crisis, only $1 billion was redeemed. But under six months, the rich nations injected over $8.7 trillion into their economies following the financial crisis.
It is no wonder that Africans and donor agencies were eager to influence the outcome of the AU HoS meeting at which a plan of action was to be signed. The meeting held under the theme: Investing in agriculture for economic growth and reducing poverty.
Oxfam International, an international aid agency in particular, released a research report titled "Investing in Poor Farmers Pays: Rethinking How to Invest in Agriculture". In partnership with small scale farmers organisations in the continent, the organisation launched the report at a side event in Sirte, as well undertook simultaneous public presentation in some influential countries such as Nigeria, Kenya, Malawi DRC, Sudan and Somalia.
At a press conference in Abuja recently, Oxfam International and the Unified Movement of Small-Scale Farmers Network warned that under-investment and bad agricultural policies by African governments and international donors have exacerbated chronic poverty and hunger for tens of millions of Africans, Oxfam welcomed the AU's decision to make agriculture this Summit's theme. It said that local communities must have a greater say in shaping the policies that affect their lives if real change was to occur.
Lamine Ndiaye, head of Oxfam's Pan Africa programme for Economic Justice, said: "One in three Africans is now affected by food crises. Investing in agriculture is part of the long-term solution to the food, financial and climate crises. The economic collapse is changing the way that people suffer from hunger - food is available but it simply costs too much for millions of people to afford. AU leaders must commit to more investment in small-scale African agriculture to break the current dependency on the global market."
Oxfam urged African governments to meet the commitments they made at the 2003 AU Summit in Maputo to allocate a minimum of 10% of national budgets for agriculture, and more for rural development. Only seven African countries, the organisation said, have met this modest target and most are averaging only about 4.5%. Oxfam said investing in agriculture pays for itself by reducing poverty and dependency and stimulating local markets.
Oxfam's report argues that additional investment must also be spent more wisely. It listed climate change as one of the biggest long-term challenges facing Africa, with desertification and drought devastating many rural areas. Community farmers manage some of the most degraded and fragile lands, and effective investment must aim to promote environmental sustainability.
The report observed: "Investing in agriculture goes hand in hand with addressing the marginalisation of entire sectors of African society. Rural development is badly needed in areas without schools and healthcare, and among pastoralist communities. Women play a vital role in the agricultural economy yet are hampered from reaching full potential by low rates of literacy, nutrition and civil rights, and the impact of HIV/AIDS. Securing land rights for women and empowering women farmers would mark a major step forward".
Other recommendations in the report include:
-Investments in agriculture which must be greater than previously envisioned, predictable, transparent, untied, channelled through budget support, and complemented by funding for civil society groups, both as government watchdogs and as complementary service providers.
-Investments in agriculture and agricultural research for marginalized areas need to be tailored to the conditions of specific locations, participatory, and demand-driven.
Because private sector investors find few profitable opportunities in marginal areas, the public sector and voluntary sector must play stronger roles.
- Public investments in agriculture are paramount, but must be complemented by investments in non-farm rural development, soft and hard infrastructure, education and health care, to have the greatest impact on productivity and ultimately on poverty reduction.
-Agricultural investments must include those who have been left behind: an estimated 66 per cent of poor, rural people. Any strategy that exclusively emphasizes agricultural investments in favoured areas is ill-advised, particularly in countries with limited shares of high-potential land.
Investments are needed in the development of low external input technologies that address resource conservation, reduce dependence on purchased inputs, and promote farmer empowerment in marginal and favoured areas. Just as there is no one technology that will work everywhere, technology in and of itself is only part of the answer. Investments must also reach outside of agriculture entirely to provide safety nets for those affected by climatic and market shocks and who cannot engage consistently in the economy.
-Empower farmers and their communities to participate in identifying their own needs and most suitable investments, by strengthening the capacity of producer organizations to undertake collective actions, and bargain for better prices and services and self-finance development priorities.
-Delivery of better technology will not in itself end hunger or improve food security. Investments in agricultural technologies that work in marginalized areas require substantial investments by farmers themselves. Most promising new technologies are knowledge-intensive. Their adoption and impact depends on farmer education outside formal schooling, such as farmer field schools.
-Waged agricultural workers need enforceable legislation that provides better worker protection, minimum wages, pensions, and access to health care.
-Investments in agriculture must involve women and address women's needs within agriculture and related sectors. Women's access to inputs and financial services must be improved in order for their potential to be realized.
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Another critical place for investment is your waterways. Across the continent they are clogged with weeds: Typha, hyacinth and others suck the water from your streams and lakes, and silt them up til they are clogged. Clear them, and you will have far more water available almost immediately. Your wetlands, when they recover, will water your drylands as they used to. But they are very resilient, so clearing them is a never ending process. To finance this, harvest them for fuel. Some are more valuable this way then others. Typha appears to be the most profitable.
Side benefits will include reduction in flooding, malaria and Quelea, and reversal of some desertification.
Two other areas to put some investment into: rainwater harvesting and container gardens. The combination is a great way of producing food right where you need it.