Comprehensive Agricultural Sector Model for the Congo Basin of Central Africa
QUESTION: At national, regional, and continental levels, who do you think should take leadership and responsibility for awareness and advocacy activities on AMU and AMR?
RESPONSE: Communication on AMU and AMR is typically disjointed between the different institutions that deal with the agriculture sector, especially in the LDCs of Sub-Saharan Africa. Recall that in most SSA countries, there are separate ministries for Agriculture Livestock, Fisheries, Forestry, etc., with very little synergy amongst them. This will also mean the potential to convey conflicting information. There is, therefore, need to undertake the following to improve communication:
(a) Creation of an Inter-ministerial task force on communication (involving all ministries associated with Agriculture, Health, Communication) with respect to AMU and AMR to harmonize the message; (b) make use of both government-owned public national broadcasting organizations, whether radio or TV, which are cost-effective and fulfills the mandate of social responsibility; (c) increased involvement of the leadership of farmer umbrella organizations or associations at the national or regional levels.
Synergy amongst these institutions will significantly contribute to timely, effective and in-depth communication of issues of AMU and AMR in the LDCs of SSA.
Agriculture is both at the foundational end and heart of an economic system, in Africa, notwithstanding. African agricultural products yearn for timely delivery which not only reduces post-harvest losses but has time and place utility along the production-consumption chain. Efficient and effective policies, institutions, programmes and projects are required in most African states for the agricultural chain to realize its diverse goals within the economic system. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) fits squarely into this yearning need, which is required to improve regional and sub-regional trade. However, bold reforms are required from African states, first for them to have faith on intra-African trade, promote continental business cooperation and encourage intra-African collaboration which stands diametrically opposite from the perceived and expected short-term gains from north-south trade between African states and their colonial partners. There's a need for a radical change in the trade routes, a need for new dynamism and a revolutionary courage for African countries to have faith on each other and exploit the gains which member states in regional and sub-regional organizations can offer quickly, timely and effectively on the exchange of agricultural commodities. The long-term gains for intra-African trade supersedes the short-term benefits that have trapped these countries for years through poor-terms in North-South trade. While this shift may require expensive efforts in lowering the transaction costs between African states, however, the long-term gains of job creation and availability of cheaper raw materials for industries and diverse foods that address the pervasive food insecurity challenge, means all efforts should be to ensure AfCFTA works.
L'agriculture est à la fois à la base et au cœur d'un système économique, en Afrique, nonobstant. Les produits agricoles africains aspirent à une livraison opportune qui non seulement réduit les pertes après récolte, mais qui a du temps et de l'utilité tout au long de la chaîne de production-consommation. Des politiques, des institutions, des programmes et des projets efficients et efficaces sont nécessaires dans la plupart des États africains pour que la chaîne agricole atteigne ses divers objectifs au sein du système économique. La Zone de libre-échange continentale africaine (ZLECAf) correspond parfaitement à ce besoin ardent, qui est nécessaire pour améliorer le commerce régional et sous-régional. Cependant, des réformes audacieuses sont nécessaires de la part des États africains, d'abord pour qu'ils aient confiance dans le commerce intra-africain, promeuvent la coopération commerciale continentale et encouragent la collaboration intra-africaine qui est diamétralement opposée aux gains à court terme perçus et attendus du commerce nord-sud entre les États africains et leurs partenaires coloniaux. Il faut un changement radical des routes commerciales, un besoin de dynamisme nouveau et un courage révolutionnaire pour que les pays africains se fassent confiance et exploitent les gains que les États membres des organisations régionales et sous-régionales peuvent offrir rapidement, en temps opportun et efficacement concernant l'échange des produits agricoles. Les gains à long terme pour le commerce intra-africain l’emportent sur les avantages à court terme qui ont piégé ces pays depuis des années en raison des mauvaises conditions du commerce Nord-Sud. Bien que ce changement puisse nécessiter des efforts coûteux pour réduire les coûts de transaction entre les États africains, cependant, les gains à long terme de la création d'emplois et la disponibilité de matières premières moins chères pour les industries et d’aliments divers, ce qui peut contribuer à réduire l'insécurité alimentaire omniprésente, signifie que tous les efforts doivent être pour assurer le bon fonctionnement de la ZLECAf.
Prof. Ernest MOLUA
While most discussions attempt to explain the negative consequences, few seem to have captured the strengths and opportunities that have emanated during this episode and period of COVID 19. The advent of COVID-19 has also demonstrated the positive side of African agriculture and food systems, with respect to its resilience, adaptive capacity and innovativeness.
With the exception of countries or regions experiencing a civil war, environmental shocks, climatic stress, and strain, countries in the continent have largely demonstrated the capacity to sustain a flow of food during these difficult times associated with stringent lockdown and restriction of movements.
The following factors could explain the resilience of the African agriculture and food systems during this period constrained by anti-COVID 19 protective measures: (1) The proliferation of home gardens and family farms; (2) the pervasiveness of informal production, marketing, and trading systems; (3) the omniscience of informal financing and input supply systems; and the (4) reliance of social capital, cooperatives, and self-help initiatives.
These are important pointers for policy-makers and those in governance to threat seriously, rather than with disdain and looked upon with scorn. These parallel informal structures, which go beyond classic prescriptions in policy circles, have combined to explain the gallant resilience of most communities in Africa.