" [1]Halving the number of people suffering from hunger and malnutrition by 2015 in all African countries is a Millennium Development Goal (MDG) and a stated aim under the Africa-EU MDG Partnership. Food security targets under the partnership include better access to food, better governance in the agricultural sector and integrating agriculture and food security within the development agenda at national, regional and continental levels.
The 21st Brussels Policy Development Briefing on the Geopolitics of Food [2], was held in Brussels on 2 February 2011, bringing together key figures from around the world to debate the subject of food security and geopolitics.
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How can the most vulnerable be helped? “Governments should promote social safety nets for the most vulnerable and more emphasis should be put on investment which focuses on the production of local, staple foods. So there is a need for:
Is food insecurity a political issue? ”Yes. Some governments are reluctant to quickly admit the food insecurity situation their population is facing, because this is considered as a sign of failure of their policies. This delays intervention measures, which could be taken more quickly to reduce the number of victims. We need to also recognise that the usually short term nature of political interests – only to the next elections – impacts on food security strategies. As concrete actions we need more investment in agriculture to facilitate access to:
With the financial crisis impacting on aid flows, what types of diversification can farmers in Africa be encouraged to explore. “Even without financial crisis, African farmers will have to explore how they can contribute to new architecture in development aid. This will include attracting private sector financing into African agriculture, from within the continent, but also from outside including in south-south cooperation with the Brazil-India-China and other emerging economies.” |
With reference to global policies, what can be done to reduce price volatility? “The donors (EU, bilateral and multilateral) should invest more and in a more continuous way in agriculture in African countries as it is a key sector in terms of food security, employment and safety nets amongst other elements. In turn, these should also be prioritised by the countries themselves.” Consumers have developed an interest in the way food is produced and processed, can this help? “A growing number of consumers, at least in developed countries, are becoming more involved in the way food is produced. But if standards are too demanding they can also exclude market shares from the poorest countries and be detrimental to small-scale farmers. Consumers need to be given transparent data. The waste of food in developed countries is a scandal, and although the food miles for exports from developing countries to the EU are high, this could be offset by the reduction of carbon and water in comparison with greenhouses around the corner. People need all the information to make their choice.” With reference to global policies, what can be done to reduce price volatility and reduce the impact of rising demand for biofuels? “The spread of commercial planting of biofuels crops, whether for export or for internal markets, has significant implications for land use and access in producer countries. This new source of demand for agricultural commodities may offer an opportunity for developing countries to harness agricultural growth for broader rural development and poverty reduction. However, there is a risk that higher food prices may have severe negative implications for the food security of the world’s poorest people.”
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Ousmane Djibo is the coordinator of the NPCA’s Sustainable Land and Water Resources Management flagship programme.
Isolina Boto is the Head of the CTA, Brussels Office which organised the briefing.
