Small-scale farmers to feed the nation
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk
Zimbabwe’s Global Hunger Index is at its lowest yet, according to this year’s
report, and with continued investment in small-scale farmers and the
government’s commitment to national social protection, it could continue to
decrease.
25.01.1202:56pm
by JOY MORRISON
The report was jointly published by the International Food Policy Research
Institute, Concern Worldwide, and Welthungerhilfe. Ranked 46 out of 81
countries where data was gathered, Zimbabwe has shown a promising reduction
in its GHI score from 21.3 in 2001 to 17.7 in 2011. The index is designed to
measure and track global hunger and it uses three indicators:
undernourishment, child underweight and child mortality. It ranks countries
on a 100-point scale where zero is the best and 100 is the worst. The
countries are then listed from ‘low’ to ‘extremely alarming’. Because of
Zimbabwe’s decrease it is now ranked as ‘serious’ and not ‘alarming’ as it
was in 2001.
Although the calculation is limited by the data collection of governments
and international agencies, and the current figures only reflect information
collected between 2004 and 2009, it does reveal an alarming trend in
Sub-Saharan Africa where the level of hunger is highest.
Gaining ground
In spite of Zimbabwe’s decrease, it still ranks above countries such as
Namibia, Botswana, Nigeria and Swaziland. However, in light of the changes
that occurred in the period between 2004 and 2009 when the economy spiralled
out of control and the controversial land reform programme was in full
swing, it is encouraging to see Zimbabwe gaining ground.
There are a number of hurdles to overcome
The 2011 report focuses on the issue of food price spikes and volatility,
which have played a large role in the global food crises of the last decade.
“Many poor people already spend large shares of their incomes on food, and
surges in food prices leave them unable to pay for the food, healthcare,
housing, education, and other goods and services they need,” the report
states.
Before the dollarization of the economy, people found it almost impossible
to keep pace with rising food prices. The massive reduction in food being
produced from the commercial farms meant a greater reliance on imported food
stuffs which the financially crippled government could not afford. The shop
shelves were empty and the poor were the worst affected, with some forced to
supplement their diets with wild berries and tree roots.
Govt commitment
In recent years, the amount of foreign direct investment in agriculture in
developing countries has increased. However, the efforts to increase
production must be coupled with the government’s obligation to national food
security and development strategies. This has been called into question
during election periods when non-governmental organisations have been
targeted by Zanu (PF) in an attempt to monopolise food distribution for
political purposes.
“There are a number of hurdles to overcome in increasing agricultural
production, including land and water constraints, underinvestment in
agricultural innovation, deficient agricultural banking, extreme weather
events and climate change, and declining investment in agricultural
research. Overcoming these hurdles requires research and innovation,
increased yields, and guaranteed access to markets,” the report states.
Concern’s work in the area of conservation farming was hailed as an example
of how farm yields can increase when modern farming techniques are employed
and farmers have access to inputs, fertilisers and an assured place in the
market.
Recommendations
In 2008, the organisation ran a project to improve a local community’s
access to food by offering training programmes and providing the necessary
seed, fertiliser and herbicides. 1,120 farmers participated in the
initiative.
One of the findings of the project was that farmers went from being
production-deficit households to production-surplus households. They
embraced the new techniques and eagerly adopted the communal-based,
conservation farming.
Some recommendations made in this year’s GHI report include establishing
national social protection systems, improving emergency plans and investing
in small-scale farming initiatives and climate-adaptive agriculture.
“As long as the extreme poor face the prospect of recurrent devastating
shocks with little protection, they will continue to be excluded from
sustainable development,” states the report.
Farmers need access to inputs
It goes on to outline the coping strategies that families are forced to
employ in light of food shortages such as removing children from school,
engaging in commercial sex work and crime. This exposes households to
disease, violence, social exclusion and ultimately death.
“Social protection has the potential to support improvements in maternal and
early childhood nutrition, especially when linked with complementary
services. Non-governmental organizations and civil society organizations
have an important role to play in these activities,” states the report.
In terms of emergency policies, the government and NGOs may respond to
national disasters, but they are not good at reacting to slow-onset
disasters such as food price crises.
“Global, regional, and national agencies need to be fully engaged, establish
triggers that will activate responses under crises, invest more in
preparedness, and mobilize their capabilities to monitor and assist the most
vulnerable people,” states the report.
Farming potential
Following the land re-distribution exercise and the increase of small-scale
farmers nationwide, it is necessary to adapt agricultural practices and
develop strategies that support these men and women. They should be equipped
to contribute to national food and nutrition security and the government and
donors should look at ways of reducing their vulnerability and tapping into
their potential.
“To improve resilience, farmers need access to inputs backed by appropriate
financing channels, knowledge transfer through extension services, support
for crop diversification, natural resource management, and improved rural
and regional market infrastructure,” states the report.
With many organisations countrywide responding to this call to invest in
community-based farming, there is hope that these enterprising farmers will
be able to contribute to a further decrease in Zimbabwe’s GHI ranking in the
years to come.