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FOOD SECURITY IN AFRICA: A REALITY OR AN ILLUSION ?
Emmanuel Ohene Afoakwa
Food security for the increasing populations in Africa is threatened by both long term and chronic developments and some more acute crisis. One chronic trend is the slowdown of agricultural growth, particularly in view of the rapid population growth. Agricultural growth may be slow for numerous reasons, including loss of fertility in over-used or worn-out soils, and increasing use of marginal lands. Other more acute crisis situations often result in conditions of food insecurity. Among these are natural disasters such as floods and droughts and also war and armed conflicts. Recent breakdown of peace in many African countries threaten, not only food security in the countries concerned but also that of neighbouring countries where large numbers of refugees settle.
At both national and international levels, food security is affected by economic policies that have direct effect on food prices, sometimes raising them beyond the means of poor households. In some case, withdrawal of subsidies on staple food can be a national policy that is asked by structural adjustment programme imposed by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
Food security questions are addressed at several levels. At global level, estimates still show that there is enough food for the current population. Seen in long perspective, available food energy per capita has continued to grow and food production increases have kept up with population expansion. Yet, worldwide, some 75 countries produced less food at the end of 1980's than they did at the beginning and 15 of those had decline in food output of more than 20%. In 1999-2000 the number of countries facing different kinds of food emergencies was 37. Although some other parts of the world were affected, most of these countries were in Africa. Adverse weather, mostly erratic rains was a main cause of the poor food situation in many countries in Eastern Africa while other African countries, including Angola, Ethiopia, Eritrea and the Sudan faced serious food problems due to war and conflicts. Today, an estimated 790 million people do not have access to sufficient foods and about 1.4 billion people live in resource poor, risk-prone environments and are unable to use many of the production technologies which are available. To them food security is just an illusion and a question of continuing to optimize the use of the resources they have.
Distribution of food insecurity can be discussed by types of risks affecting different populations in Africa. At least seven major categories of risks have been identified in connection with the 1992 International Conference of Nutrition. These include crop production failures, trade disruptions, fluctuations in food prices, unemployment, health risks or problems of specific population groups and policy and politics. Households which are vulnerable and prone to food insecurity are those which can be identified by low production, low income and few material resources – that is the poor. These are often landless families in rural areas as well as small farmers in resource-poor and drought-ridden areas in Africa. Other food insecure groups are the urban poor, pastoralists whose access to range is limited, refugees and in some societies, the elderly. Also, female-headed households are generally among the poorest and therefore most food insecure in Africa. Within households, food is often not equally distributed among women, young children and the aged. These are high risk groups in many societies, also in terms of food insecurity. The relatively greater nutritional requirements, coupled with lower food intakes and dependency on others for food are some of the reasons why the achievement of food security in Africa is barely becoming an illusion. As Africans, the achievement of food security can become a reality depending on how much time, efforts and resources we are prepared to put in to realize this dream.
To make food security a reality in Africa, the issues needs to be addressed both the national and household levels. At present, two lines of strategy for addressing the problems can be identified; one builds on economic growth and stability; the other relies on public support measures in order to give social security for the most needy. In practice, many strategies are needed because no single strategy can meet the varied needs of the poor and underprivileged households. However, the ultimate solution must be to provide people facing chronic food insecurity with opportunities to earn adequate incomes and to assure abundant food supply from domestic production or imports, as the lack of access to food by individual households is associated with poverty.
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