Perspectives on Hunger, Poverty and
Agriculture in Africa
Keynote Address by Jacques Diouf, Director-General,
FAO, at the National Gathering on Africa
Washington, D.C., United States of America, 23 June
2001
Introduction
We are here to discuss an issue that is very close to
my heart- the need for increased attention to and action
on hunger and poverty in Africa. At the outset, a
pertinent question that may come to mind is: why the
focus on agriculture and food security in Africa? What
are the facts concerning the continent and its conditions
that make it a special subject for such a national
gathering? Perhaps some data will help explain the
principal reasons.
Half of the world's low-income
food-deficit countries and 34 of the 49 Least
Developed Countries are in Africa. In 1996-98,
28 percent of the population on the African
continent was chronically undernourished (192 million
people). But averages of aggregate data on
undernourishment mask sub-regional differences. In North
Africa, the prevalence of undernourishment (4 percent )
is considerably lower and has fallen by one-half since
1979-81, despite the severe environmental constraints to
agricultural production in the region. On the other hand,
the prevalence of undernourishment in sub-Saharan Africa
has declined only slightly over the past two decades,
from 38 percent to 34 percent. Unless urgent and
substantial effort is made, FAO estimates that the
percentage of the undernourished population in
sub-Saharan Africa will fall to 22 percent, but that
the absolute number will increase from 180 million
in 1995/97 to 184 million in 2015.
War, civil conflict and disease have taken a
particularly heavy toll on the region. Sixty one percent
of the African population has been affected by war and
civil conflict, while the HIV/AIDS
pandemic has reduced life expectancy by as much as
20 years in the countries affected the most, and is
expected to reduce Africa's economic growth by one-fourth
over the next 20 years.
Having started on a negative note, I do not wish to
convey a distorted picture of a continent without hope.
Quite the opposite: many success stories do exist in the
region where several countries have managed to tackle a
lot of the above challenges, and where agricultural
growth was a major driving force behind those
achievements.
Agriculture continues to dominate the economies and
societies of most African countries and is an important
vehicle for economic growth. In 1998 for the continent as
a whole, the agricultural sector accounted for nearly
60 percent of the total labour force,
20 percent of total merchandise exports and
17 percent of GDP. For sub-Saharan Africa these
figures are even higher, amounting to two-thirds of the
labour force, one-third of exports, and nearly one-third
of GDP. Agriculture is the main source of raw material
for industry, and provides a high proportion of
manufacturing value-added in most African countries.
Moreover, rural households derive almost 40 percent of
their income from rural off-farm activities linked one
way or the other to primary agriculture.
Poverty, Food Insecurity and Agriculture
Who are the poor in Africa? Who are the hungry and
malnourished? It has been estimated by the World Bank,
and recently confirmed by IFAD, that nearly three-fourths
of the poor in developing countries live in rural areas.
It has been calculated that two fifths of the African
population live on an average of US$ 0.87 a person a
day, while for the rural population this figure is
reduced to U.S.$ 0.47 per person per day.
It is well known that poverty is at the root of hunger
and undernourishment. However, what often escapes our
attention is that hunger and malnutrition are also major
causes of poverty. Hunger reduces the productivity of
what is often the only asset that the extremely poor
possess: their labour. Thus undernourishment, through
productivity losses and nutrition-related health
problems, is an economic handicap. The undernourished are
often trapped in a vicious circle of under-nourishment,
low productivity, and hence continuous poverty. It
follows that the reduction of food insecurity must be at
the centre of national and international poverty
reduction programmes.
In Africa, although concrete programmes have to be
adapted to national and local conditions, the prevalence
of poverty and food insecurity in rural areas points to a
common feature: anti-poverty and food security policies
should emphasize rural livelihoods and also agricultural
and other related rural activities on which the poor
depend for their survival. Hunger and poverty are, and
will remain for several decades to come, rural phenomena
in Africa, closely linked to agricultural production and
productivity but also to rural employment and income
generation which would allow sustainable and sustained
socio-economic development..
In Africa, therefore, the battle against poverty over
the next few decades will be won or lost in rural
areas.
In that framework, food production has a pivotal role
to play as staples cover about 60 percent of total arable
area and rural poor, especially in the poorest countries,
derive the bulk of their income from activities related
directly or indirectly to staple production. Small
farmers and landless labourers tend especially to veer
towards staple food production. And, at early stages of
development, additional land devoted to staples
production generates more income and employment than land
devoted to to other uses: as clearly demonstrated in the
FAO
State of Food and Agriculture 2000. In the process of
development, countries will, however, move away from
agriculture into other sectors and within agriculture
from staples into other commodities.
Food distribution is also a central issue for Africa.
After the doubling of world grain supplies, the share of
trade in total grain consumption remained stable at about
10 percent. Thus, by and large, most of the world's food
consumption takes place in the countries in which it is
produced. This fact is very important in light of the
prospects of increasing food demand that will result from
increased population. In fact, if the 1995-1997 level of
85 per cent for self-sufficiency in sub-Saharan Africa is
to stay the same in 2015, the sub-continent will have to
meet 118 million tons of its projected needs of 139
million tons of cereals through increased local
production.
If we take into consideration the fact, that
- fertiliser use in Africa is some 19 kg per ha per
year, compared to 100 kg/ha in East Asia and
230 kg/ha in West Europe;
- in Africa, only 7 percent of all arable land is
irrigated compared to 13 percent in Latin America
and about 40 percent in developing Asia; and
- agricultural production in the region has to occur
in complex farming systems often characterized by
declining soil fertility, land degradation, organic
matter shortage, weed infestation, and high
vulnerability to drought;
Success in reducing hunger is possible, also in
Africa.
As shown in The
FAO State of Food Insecurity in the World (SOFI
1999), between the early eighties and the
mid-nineties, the thirteen countries which reduced the
proportion of the hungry people by more than one percent
annually, were led by five countries in West Africa:
Ghana, Burkina Faso, the Gambia, Nigeria and Mali. In
Ghana and Nigeria, for instance, comprehensive programmes
to promote cassava production were critical in spurring
agricultural growth and in reducing under-nourishment. It
also confirmed the vital role that investment in applied
research plays in strengthening agricultural development
and food security.
It should be noted also that agricultural growth,
although essential, was not the only element contributing
to success. The three other factors, which were
simultaneously brought to bear, included political
stability and peace; enabling macro-economic framework;
social safety nets for the poorest.
The World
Food Summit Plan of Action, drawn up in Rome in
November 1996 by Heads of State and Governments and
representatives from 186 countries, addresses, in the
most comprehensive manner, the actions required to
achieve sustainable food security for all. FAO has
assisted African governments as well as regional economic
groups to translate this Plan into appropriate
strategies. The FAO
Special Programme for Food Security (SPFS), is FAO's
concrete action at the level of rural poor, to assist
them to produce their own food as "give a fish to a
person, he will eat for a day, teach him to fish he will
eat every day". Increasing agricultural output would be
extremely helpful for generating employment, increasing
incomes, and facilitating access to food. The SPFS,
targeted mainly at low-income food-deficit countries
(LIFDCs), aims at improving household and national food
security through rapid increases in food production and
productivity. The control of water reduces year-to-year
variability in production, while sustainable technologies
protect the environment and diversification in animals
and artisanal fishing and aquaculture improve nutrition
and the cash flow of the poor farmers. Transfer of
technologies is made in the field through south-south
cooperation which is low-cost and socially adapted. The
Programme is currently operational in 64 countries (of
which 38 are in Africa), formulated but not yet
operational in 4 countries (2 in Africa), and under
formulation in 13 others (3 in Africa).
The full implementation of these strategies for Africa
through country-owned and led action, but also
grass-roots programmes involving farming communities and
organizations, now depends upon the necessary political
will and mobilization of resources.
Coping with Disasters and Diseases
Natural and man-made disasters have increasingly
become a serious threat to economic and social progress
in developing countries, especially in Africa. The number
of people facing serious food shortages in sub-Saharan
Africa as a result of these disasters is currently
estimated at over 28 million in
21 countries.
As a consequence, a principal challenge for African
countries is to improve their preparedness for and
prevention of the frequent disasters and diseases which
are so detrimental to their food security and
agricultural development.
FAO's
Global Information and Early Warning System (GIEWS)
identifies potential crisis situations arising from
natural and man-made disasters and monitors ongoing
agricultural production using a combination of high-tech
satellite monitoring systems along with traditional
on-the-ground observations. This objective information on
the food availability situation allows both private
voluntary organizations and bilateral donors to react
more quickly in crisis situations in order to minimise
human suffering and save lives.
In addition, the Food
Insecurity and Vulnerability Information and Mapping
Systems (FIVIMS) combines the efforts of several UN
and other international agencies with bilateral donor
agencies and NGOs to improve collection, analysis,
dissemination and understanding of food insecure and
vulnerable populations.
FAO has also redoubled its efforts through the
Emergency
Prevention System against transboundary pests and
diseases (EMPRES). The Global Rinderpest Eradication
Programme has been a major EMPRES effort. The benefits
from combating transboundary pests and diseases can be
enormous. In Africa, between 1965 and 1998, rinderpest
control resulted in additional production of 44 million
tons of milk, 15 million tons of beef and one
million tons of hides with a gross value in 1998 of US$
47 billion.
African leaders are also moving to combat
transboundary pests and diseases. The Heads of African
States and Governments, at their 36th Summit Meeting in
Lomé, Togo, adopted a historic Decision to
Eradicate Tsetse Flies on the African Continent.
The health crisis, in particular the spread of
HIV/AIDS
Many of the problems of health that afflict peoples in
Africa stem from hunger and malnutrition. It is only
healthy, well-nourished children who can grow and develop
normally and can learn and develop their mental
capacities to the fullest. Good nutrition needs to be
seen as playing an important role in preventing and
mitigating the impact of infections.
The estimated annual number of new HIV infections in
sub-Saharan Africa has been rising rapidly and reached 4
million persons in 1999. The most affected countries rely
heavily on agriculture, and HIV/AIDS is expected to take
a sizeable toll on the agricultural labour force, with
labour force losses ranging from 13 to 26 percent in the
nine most affected countries posing a severe threat to
food security.
Globalization, Trade and Regional Integration:
Opportunities and Challenges
African export patterns continue to be characterized
by a small number of primary (often plantation-based)
commodities and dependency on preferential access to a
few developed country markets.
An important reason for this is the supply-side
constraints in the countries themselves; but others have
their origins elsewhere.
Agricultural and trade policies of industrialized
countries have not always provided a conducive
environment for the development of developing country
agriculture. In a number of OECD countries, political
pressures of agricultural lobbies and the sensitivity of
voters and politicians to agricultural and rural issues
have resulted in domestic support and trade-related
policies. In 1999 alone, total support to agriculture by
OECD countries was estimated at over US$ 360 billion,
representing a share of 1.4 percent in their total GDP.
Although all this support is in accord with the WTO
agreements, there can be little doubt that it gives a
competitive edge to the agricultural sectors of the
countries providing it-. - a competitive edge which
poorer countries cannot match. I do recognize the
beneficial effects of lower world prices for poor
consumers in developing countries and for the foreign
exchange balances of net food-importing countries. But,
at the same time, I cannot help noticing that support to
the agriculture of some developed countries has been
translated into difficulties for low-income countries in
developing theirs.
African countries urgently need improved market access
for their agricultural products, particularly for
higher-value processed products; market&endash;based
incentives to increase investment in their own
agriculture and substantial infusions of technical and
financial assistance in overcoming domestic supply
constraints.
The region is moving towards more market integration.
At the 36th Organization of African Unity summit in July
2000, African Heads of State and Government reaffirmed
their intention to form an African political and economic
union, including the creation of a common market for
agricultural products. FAO supports this initiative in
the belief that greater openness and integration of
agricultural markets within Africa could alleviate some
of the problems that hinder development of the sector and
thus help ensure rapid, sustainable economic growth.
Just two months ago, I met with OAU Ministers of
Agriculture in Togo to discuss a study recently prepared
by FAO in cooperation with OAU on a Common Agricultural
Market for Africa in the context of African Economic
Integration. The paper was warmly received and thoroughly
discussed by the 32 Ministers and experts attending this
OAU meeting. The Ministers felt that increased market
integration for food security was a high priority for
Africa and decided to adopt the resulting document for
submission to the 37th Summit of Heads of State to be
held in Lusaka next month.
Resource Mobilization for Agricultural
Development
In order to achieve a more rapid reduction of poverty
and food insecurity in Africa, a much greater share of
resources, both domestic and international, must be
devoted to agricultural and rural development than is
presently the case.
A large share of resources for investment in primary
agriculture and the rural sector will have to come from
the private sector, first and foremost the farmers
themselves. But the public sector has a large role to
play in this effort: in particular in technology
generation and diffusion, basic infrastructure for water
control, roads and market infrastructure, dissemination
of information and institution-building.
Yet, the analysis carried out in the context of the
forthcoming WFS-fyl shows that the allocation of public
resources to agriculture is gravely inadequate,
especially in countries where agriculture is crucial for
growth and food security.
Agriculture in most countries in Africa is
substantially under-performing relative to its
potential.
But countries in Asia, threatened by hunger and mass
starvation in the 1950s and 1960s have made impressive
steps in feeding their people, even though their
populations have more than doubled. Success stories can
be found in all developing regions that have devoted a
larger share of public and private resources to building
physical capital for the development of their
agricultural sectors.
But the poor countries are also the most constrained
in their capacity to mobilise domestic resources for the
development of the sector. Therefore the role of
development assistance in this respect is crucial. And
yet, while in 1990, Africa received 30 percent of
global agricultural Official Development Assistance, its
share declined to 21 percent in 1998. Moreover, the
total flow of official development assistance to primary
agriculture declined over the same period from US$
11 billion to only US$ 7.4 billion. This is a
tiny fraction of the funds spent on supporting the
agricultural sector in OECD countries to which I made
reference earlier.
The spectacular increase in foreign direct investment
flowing to developing countries in the last decade has
largely by-passed Africa and it has hardly touched its
agricultural sector. This is distressing but not
surprising. For attracting foreign private capital, the
necessary investments in infrastructure (communications
and information, irrigation and drainage, health and
education) needs to be put in place by governments with
the assistance of donors. Public capital is essential for
stimulating private initiative.
While debt relief efforts are under way for promoting
poverty reduction, there are signs that such efforts
exclude the very sector where 70 percent of the poor are
located and from which they earn their living. The lack
of food security targets in the Poverty Reduction
Strategy Papers, recently developed under the HIPC
initiative, is one such example. The omission of the key
role of agriculture in achieving poverty targets under
these strategies should be redressed.
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
To the extent that the plight of the 192 million
undernourished in Africa has to do with under-performance
of agriculture, the responsibility transcends national
borders and becomes a collective one.
Conclusion
The last decade of the 20th century has been marked by
renewed world-wide attention to the plight of the poor.
The discourse regarding economic development has shifted
to give more emphasis to the social aspects and impacts
of economic growth and economic policy. The world
community has pledged through summits, conferences and
other initiatives to make a serious effort to reduce
extreme poverty, which is a considerable burden on
society's conscience.
At the World
Food Summit the objective of reducing the number of
undernourished people to half their present level by 2015
was adopted. It is unthinkable that any discourse,
commitment or action regarding alleviation of hunger and
poverty can be carried out without targeting Africa.
Unless the leadership in Africa assume ownership of
the processes seeking solution to these problems, there
can be no sustainable progress on these critical issues.
In this connection, I am pleased to note the movement in
this direction by the recently-announced Millennium
African Renaissance Plan. This African-led initiative,
which is being merged with the Omega Plan, has the
advantage of local ownership and indigenous ideas.
We cannot hope to make substantial progress in putting
an end to the loss of human life, misery and destruction
caused by war and civil strife in the region unless a
serious effort is made to address the problem of hunger
and destitution which are important factors behind
conflicts.
And yet for Africa the trends point to an increase in
the number of hungry people in the continent by 2015.
This should be a cause of serious concern to all of us
and underlines the immense effort which lies ahead. It is
against this background that the World
Food Summit: five years later is being convened in
Rome this year in order for the countries, represented at
the highest level, to review progress in making the
objectives of the WFS, and also to charter a path for the
way forward.
Massive and premature urbanisation is a legitimate
concern. But this phenomenon is due principally to the
rural decline and cannot be effectively addressed unless
investment in agriculture and the rural areas is stepped
up.
The tasks ahead are enormous, but so too are the
numbers of hungry and malnourished people who are waiting
for our action. It is clear that the inclusion of hunger
and food insecurity, as distinct manifestations of
poverty, and the critical role of agriculture in the
process of poverty alleviation have not been given
adequate attention in the various policies, programmes,
and fora dealing with poverty reduction. This is a
fundamental issue we must discuss today, and the evidence
fully justifies a special focus on Africa in this
regard.
