Poverty alleviation in Sub-Sahara Africa

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Introductionand infrastructure to manage them can worsen the
One of the most constantly talked about right in therate of the disaster.
global human rights documents is the right to food,(Financial Times, 2002)
however it is the one largely repeatedly violated inSeveral Sub-Saharan Africa countries have poor
the recent past. Goals set in 1996 by the World Foodmacro-economic performance. Together with
Summit for hunger reduction have mostly failed, eveneconomic integrations in the region, it has implied that
though food production globally having grown quickerthe downhill trend has had wave effects all through.
than the world population. International, national and(Financial Times, 2002)
the human security aspects are more and moreThe interaction involving governance and economic
converging, and in some areas overlapping. Aboutgrowth performance has damaged efforts to tackle
840 million people globally are malnourished, theproblems. Food shortage is not merely an
biggest proportion of these numbers being found in“economic disaster”. Whilst lack of purchasing
Africa. The degree of the crisis in Africa has currentlypower at the personal and family level can be
reached unparalleled crisis levels; World Food Summitaccredited to poverty level, it is often also the effect
(2002) that several 38 million people, in Africa faceof political failures, not only conflicts, except letdown
“an urgent and impending threat to their security,in political answerability of regimes, and also political
stability and peace”.meddling, as happened in Zimbabwe recently.
The reasons as to why action plans addressing food(Maxwell, 2000)
security in Africa have continued to fail can be
accredited to defective analysis and defective
actions. What is required is a comprehending which
goes beyond conservative, traditional wisdom inPolitics
order to work extra strategically in formulating andPolitics holds a central point in present regional
implementing effective and successful, global, nationalperformances in sub-Saharan Africa. In the case of
and also regional policies. Accessibility, availability andZimbabwe, governance failure; both by absence of
affordability are each aspects of food security,accountability and also a resistance to
difficult issues which encompass a broad scope ofdemocratisation; in spite of the truth that land
interconnected social, economic and political issues,reforms plan provides both promise and danger,
internal aspects and external aspects, whichthere is presently concerns over under-using of
challenges Africa’s capability to tackle foodrecently settled land, leading to poorer crop yields.
security in the continent. Ultimately hunger or lack of(Maxwell, 2000)
food is a political making which should be endedCapacity to respond
through political ways. (Rajalakshmi, 2002)Famines are not purely natural phenomenon; they are
Global aspectan interaction of a mixture of a number of factors;
Globally, the trends of food shortage are disturbingof risks and the communities at risk. Sub-Sahara
as development in reduction of hunger in the thirdAfrica is not unfamiliar to droughts and famines, and
world countries has gone down and in many regionsindividuals have managed them previously. The issue
the figures of malnourished people is really growing, inincreasingly being questioned is: Why not at present?
spite of the actuality that global food production hasPeople who are facing food shortages makes
developed quicker than global population in the last 3strategic decisions regarding how to fulfil their
decades. The most recent approximates that aboutrequirements: alternatives vary from informal food
840 million persons were malnourished between 1998safety grids where people draw upon their social
to 2000; 11 million people in the industrialised nations,groups, to eating a smaller amount and low-cost
30 million people in nations in transition, and ameals and at times scrounging for seeds and fruits,
whopping 799 million people in the developingor when more desperately migrating away. What is
countries, this is according to FAO (2002)currently being witnessed in Sub-Sahara Africa at
In the 1996, World Food Summit (WFS) gave a goalfamily level is a gradually wearing down of
of a reducing the number of starving people at leastindividuals’ coping mechanisms, that is revealing
by 20 million each year from 2000 to 2015. Whilst aa more deep-rooted and intricate problem of
few regions made remarkable growth over twosusceptibility. (Aziz, 2001)
decades previous to 2000, signifying that foodIn addition, the evidence available suggests that
shortage is not a stubborn crisis, (World Foodseveral countries and also regions which are
Summit, 2002) the recent figures on statistics ofsusceptible to the natural calamities lack the capability
under-nourished global disclose that as from the 1996or are badly prepared to counter. The capability to
World Food Summit, the average yearly decline hasmanage at the country stage a group of individuals
been merely 2.5 million, which is far less than the goalwho can recognize the problems, evaluate the data
set by WFS of halving the figure of under-nourishedwhich is brought from the ground and formulate
people by the 2015. Advancement needs to besolutions so as to avoid or control famine, is under
speed-up to 24 million people annually, approximatelyutilised or not there. The policies, establishments and
ten times the present pace, in order to attain thatalso capacities should to be put in position to respond
goal. (World Food Summit, 2002)and alleviate. Nonetheless, there have been numerous
instances of successful food crisis prevention, which
Sub-Sahara Africa food shortage; is it a wilfulincludes Botswana and Kenya in the mid 1980s and
problem?South Africa and Zimbabwe in the early 1990s. Yet,
Economic experts revels that, the Africa’swhat is apparent is that revival and rehabilitation
resources exceed its requirements by far, andattempts that tackle the core causes of persistent
however, there is so much food shortage. It is afood shortages and susceptibility to famine have
paradox that countries (African) which have millionsbeen awfully limited. (Aziz, 2001)
of starving people export foodstuffs to other
countries which have well fed people. How is it that,The wider context
Sub-Saharan African countries which are poor havingThere is a general view that Sub-Sahara Africa has
a lot of starving people, appears to be capableunder-performed in the macro-economic levels,
growing food fairly plentifully? What is it that willhowever indeed according to the World Bank data
assure better food security in the sub-Sahara Africa(Maxwell, 2002) Africa hasn’t lagged behind, it
and in deed in the whole world?data show that the world as a whole lagged behind:
In1970s and 1980s, food security resolutionsFood production in fact, has improved by more than
proposed were entirely technological, emphasizinga quarter in the past two decades, except not
production instead of equitable allocation of food foradequate in relations of per capita production globally.
the people. This solution failed, since food shortageSub-Saharan Africa is the only region where annual
problem is not a technical problem. Population strainsgrowth of GDP per capita has been on the negative,
have been viewed as a source of world foodat 1.0% from 1975 and 1999, in contrast with 6.0%,
shortage; it might be an infuriating factor, however itfor Eastern Asia and 2.3% for South Asia. (Maxwell,
is not a source. Climate and Weather have also been2002)
a suitable excuse, however large quantity of foodImproving poor economic performance of
can and does exist along famine even where there isSub-Saharan Africa’s sluggish agricultural
natural risks. (Madeley, 2002)segment is a vital to resolving the hunger and
In 2002 in Abuja, Nigeria a global convention on foodpoverty problems because this segment is at the
security which was attended by 8 regional groupingscore of food security. In relation to the other regions
in Africa was held there, to look for immediateof the world, agriculture sector is particularly central in
solutions to manage Africa’s harsh foodSub-Sahara Africa; with small-scale agriculture farmers
disaster. At the Nigeria conference, FAO directorbeing the main source of incomes in Sub-Sahara
general Jacques Diouf, emphasized the harshness ofAfrica. Agriculture offers employment to a greater
the disaster in the African agriculture sector and thesegment of the labour force compared to any other
requirement for immediate in finding a method out ofarea. Lipton (2001) states that, more than 96% of
the food troubles. (Diouf, 2002) Action programmesfarmers Sub-Sahara Africa work on a small-scale,
to tackle food security have continuous been fallingcultivating below four hectares
well short of their targets and goals. Wrong analysisAnd still, small-scale agriculture has been proved to be
has resulted to wrong actions; what is required is anleast efficient compared to large-scale farms after
comprehending which goes beyond conservative,farmers obtained same support services such as
traditional wisdom is required in managing the currentinputs in terms of seeds, fertilisers and credit. A
food shortages in Africa, and in particular Sub-Saharalatest FAO research has exposed that small- scale
Africa which is badly hit. (Diouf, 2002)farms appear to be extra productive and provide
Definitions of food securitymore employment opportunities to the surrounding
Importance in food security has increased andpopulations compared to large estates; the
decreased over the past, specifically regarding theInternational Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in
changes in extent and the nature of food crisis global.its report given in 2001 approximated that for every
The 1975, UN meaning of food security mirrored the1% increase in agricultural production, poverty level
feeling of the time, which centred on sufficientwould be decline by 0.6%. The FAO is currently
production of food at global and the national stage.advocating for extra public investments by
This was the conservative viewpoint of food as adeveloped and also developing nations into on-farming
main requirement. Food security is, however, an issueimprovements for example irrigation, superior seeds,
of both unlimited food availability and also unrestrictedprotection of the natural-resource foundation for
accessibility to food. Amartya Sen has beenfood productivity, advancement in research on
accredited with starting the paradigm shift early on inagriculture and extension services, improvement of
1980s which brought spotlight to the question ofrural transportation, better market accessibility and
accessibility and right to food. (Madeley, 2002) Foodexceptional provision for individuals in specific need.
insecurity presently is not simply seen as a failure ofThe (FAO, 2002)
the agriculture sector to produce adequate food atThese are opinions which are more and more being
the national stage, however instead food insecurity isproposed throughout the world. The World
seen as failure of livelihoods to be guaranteedBank’s recent rural growth strategy stipulates
accessibility to enough food at the family level. Atfor increased proportion of resources committed to
present, most widespread food security definitionsrural growth. Moving beyond food shortage, NEPAD
start with individual right, by acknowledging theof late proclaimed that it has recognized agriculture
complex inter-linkages among the individual, thesector as a main concern for a sub-regional and also
family, the society, the country and the globalregional approaches to growth and also as a
community. The 1996, ‘Rome Declaration on Worldbackbone for development in the enhancement of
Food Security’, food security is described as:people’s incomes in the rural regions. The
Food which is obtainable at every moment, to which“NEPAD Comprehensive Africa Agriculture
every person “have means of access that isDevelopment Programme” (CAADP), that predicts
nutritionally adequate in terms of quantity, quality andoutlay of $240 billion by the year 2015, put focus on
variety, and is acceptable within the given culture”three main areas where increasing the investments
(FAO, 2002)would assist develop sub-Sahara Africa’s
Availability, accessibility and also affordability are eachagriculture sector, food security and also trade
aspects of food security, intricate issues whichbalance, which are:
covers a broad range of interconnected social,1. expanding the area of sustainable land management
economic and political aspects, internal and external,and dependable water management systems;
that challenges Sub-Sahara Africa’s capability2. improving the rural infrastructure network and
to in addressing food security. (Grunwald, 2003)trade-connected capacities for accessing the market;
Analysts in general believe that Sub-Saharaand
Africa’s present food crisis are the outcome3. Increasing the food deliver and reducing food
of an amalgamation of problems which ranges fromshortage (FAO, 2002)
droughts and bad weather patterns and civil conflicts,Globalisation and the part of the World Trade
to politico-economical crises, HIV/AIDS and also badOrganisation (WTO)
policy making. No solitary factor is exclusivelyThere is a close link between food shortage and
responsible. Sub-Sahara Africa is not an unfamiliar tofood security on the one side, and a big number of
natural hazards, except in the recent past a veryaspects of global significance on the side. The
vast region has been affected by droughts and civilunfavourable effect of structural adjustment and the
conflicts and many countries lacked strategic foodliberalisation policies regarding food security and also
reserves. Sub-Sahara Africa also has a far biggeragriculture, alongside the continuous trade barriers,
number of dependents and higher child-headedthe general downhill drift of agricultural subsidies,
households, as a result of HIV/AIDS. What isofficial development assistance (ODA), in the North,
indisputable is that “Sub-Sahara Africa’sand debt burdens in sub-Sahara Africa are merely
constant susceptibility is possibly owing to failure ofjust several of the aspects highlighting the
understanding and also failure of interventions”.requirement for global co-operation as an tool for
(Grunwald, 2003)tackling food insecurity. (FAO, 2002)
Natural hazard- faminesThe practice and regulations of international trade
Frequent droughts in Sub-Sahara Africa are anplays a central role in attaining global food security
elementary component of the climatic condition ofand enhancement of agriculture. Free trade does not
the region, where normally there is a remarkably highsuit everyone and sub-Sahara African countries faces
inconsistency in rainfall and temperature. other mainenormous task in being competitive.
variables which influences the present crisis inTrade rounds apparently profit the entire world by
Sub-Sahara Africa is not merely the drop inimproving competitiveness, enlarging the marketplace
production caused by of uneven weather patterns,so as to raise trade volumes and improve the value
mainly drought, but also the floods, however theof goods traded. These suppositions are founded on
extent and regularity of severe occurrences is rising.fundamentally faulty principles. Though, trade has the
An FAO research has forecasted that climaticpossibility of contributing to the food security,
changes will cause harsh droughts in Sub-Saharahowever practical two groups of regulations have
Africa and that by 2010 an extra 5 million Sub-Saharabeen imposed: one group for those permitted to and
Africans might be affected by food shortage. (FAO,accountable for deforming the market by use of
2002)tariff and also non-tariff barriers, the second group is
Environmental factors affect agriculture heavily, andfor, the developing nations, who were not and are
in turn agriculture has a considerable effect oncurrently legally barred from acting so.
environment. There are growing reports ofMcCalla (2001) clearly observes that, Market reforms
deforestation, land degradation, and water loggingwhich were put across by the WB and the IMF as
contributing to declining capacity of Sub-Sahara Africabeing the ideologically right development and growth
to feed itself. (FAO, 2002path discarded views of government involvement. As
Whereas the concern of food security in Sub-Saharaa consequence, a great deal of the Sub-Sahara Africa
Africa is directly related to climatic changes andwas forced to decrease its involvements in the
unpredictability, climate is not the only determinant ofnational economy, a move which incorporated
harvest, nor is physical environment the single crucialstopping the subsidisation of the agricultural inputs for
thing in determining food security Sub-Sahara Africa.example fertiliser and also privatising the produce
(FAO, 2002boards which set farmers prices and gathered the
farmers’ products. Ironically these handicaps
Conflictshave been further compounded by policies in the
Conflict and drought frequently interrelate very much;North—at the same time that African farmers have
there are is an increasing number of fresh andbeen told they can no longer have free seeds or
deteriorating conflicts which are increasinglyfertilisers, McCalla, (2001) adds that, instead, the US
aggressive and prolonged, for example in Sudan andand the EU have maintained and in fact highly
Chad almost all countries which has suffered droughtincreased support and subsidies for agriculture sector.
in the last 20 years has also suffered a conflict atA downstream result is that of the subsidised
the same period. While Sub-Sahara Africa hasproduce surpluses that undercuts the food prices of
experienced a lot of droughts in the past, they wereSub-Sahara African in their home markets. This is
usually managed with sound effectiveness. However,somehow an inconsistency that wealthy countries
combination of conflict and famine has causedgreatly subsidise a waning agricultural sector that, at
extensive suffering and death.prime, contributes below 5%to GDP. (McCalla, 2001)
Conflict and political turmoil are main contributingConclusion
aspects to food shortage, the effect being felt atAfrica has currently reached unparalleled crisis levels in
family and national stage. At most agriculturalterms of food shortages as several 38 million people
activities are interrupted, however in prolongedin Africa face “an urgent and impending threat to
conflicts such as Sudan and Somalia, production istheir security, stability and peace in terms of right to
destroyed. Additional direct economic consequencesfood. However, it is not reasonable for the
include price changes for essential commodities,international community to put money at the crisis of
closing of markets, poverty and dislocation,extensive food shortage. Designed humanitarian aid
interruption of trade and aid movements. (Worldand support an answer to this issue.
Food Summit, 2002)As Grunwald, (20003) states a more strategic and
Famine might not just be a side-effect of conflict; ittactical approach is required in formulating and then
might also be a tool of war. There are lots of casesimplementing an effective global, national and also
in Sub-Sahara Africa of political interfering; someregional policies regarding food security. In dealing
groups might be highly susceptible because ofwith the reasons, the fundamental of increasing
calculated unresponsiveness or even ill-treatment bystructural disparities ought to affect better
the regime, added with absence of political authorityacknowledgment of the long-standing manner of
of these groups. A lot of evidence in Sudan indicatesadjusting approaches relating to food security. Good
extensive starvation as a result of aid organisationsresponses have to encompass food aid and fresh
lacking to access those in needs, and also ofapproaches to agriculture, besides prevention and also
intentional victimisation from the government. (Worldtreatment of the HIV/AIDS victims. The WTO
Food Summit, 2002)immediately requires to be reorganized to comprise
There are also a lot of factors which aggravatethe full involvement of the poorer nations, and it
emergencies that undermine the production of foodshould be reorganized to offer more support. The
and also economic accessibility to food. (World FoodDeveloping nations ought to benefit a lot from the
Summit, 2002)elimination of trade barriers for produces in which
these countries have a relative advantage, from
Structural povertydecreased tariffs for the processed agricultural
Widespread and utter poverty and starvation areproducts, and also from better preferential
worsening in sub-Saharan Africa, yet improving inaccessibility to global markets for the most
almost all other regions. About half the totalunder-developed countries. (WFP, 2002)
population of sub-Saharan Africa lives under the globalGreater acknowledgment should be awarded to
poverty level, a higher proportion than anywhereagriculture sector as the main concern sector in
else. Sub-Saharan Africa has got the highestsub-Sahara Africa, together with allocation of
occurrence of malnutrition and has indicatedenlarged funding in the national budgets of these
diminutive improvement in dropping this in the past 30countries as suggested by the Sub-Sahara Africa
years malnutrition is a core demonstration ofministers of agriculture. (Agency France-Press, 2002)
poverty, and as the poverty level worsens, foodThere should be a balance between an immediate
becomes extra significant than ever before. Itfood support issues with long-standing and strategic
intensifies other sides of poverty through reducingdeliberations, which needs a comprehensive approach
the capability to work and individual resistance toentailing economical, social, political and the
infection, and through affecting children’senvironmental factors. Nonetheless, what is vital is
mental growth and educational accomplishments.the political will to deal with the food shortage
(WFP, 2002)problem.
Hunger and food insecurity are closely correlated toIn the words of James Morris (executive director of
poverty and also an incapability to buy food. Fightingthe World Food Programme)
food shortage cannot be resolved through merelyAt the end, food shortage is only a political
producing more food. Famines have happened evenconstruction and we have to apply political ways in
where there is lots of food. Many people purchaseending it. For the results to be positive to Sub-Sahara
food instead of producing it; indeed incredibly fewAfrica, it requires that their leaders, intellectuals and
people, comprising small-scale farmers, are whollythe communities have to be at the foremost in
self-adequate in food production. What is happening indecision making. For sound and sustainable actions to
Sub-Sahara Africa, in specific, is that there is poorbe accepted it calls for regional and collective decision
harvest, thus individuals have undertaken to sell offmaking. (Morris, 2002)
livestock and assets to purchase food. (WFP, 2002)
Decreased fresh water availability, related with
possible declines in rainfall amounts, is raising the
danger of contamination of water. It is necessary to
note the relationship among under-nutrition, absence
of potable water and cholera or diarrhoea, which is
one of the world’s five major killers. (WFP,
2002)Reference:
Land tenure security is also a determinant of foodAgency France-Press (2002): African countries pledge
production; land is a critical resource for a lot ofto give agriculture priority, reported in Agency
people for them to get away from poverty. LandFrance-Press13, December 2002
distribution in sub-Sahara Africa is very unequal thatAziz, S (2001): How committed are we to ending
land reforms and also land redistribution is necessaryhunger? Keynote speaker at Conference on
if there is to be any key poverty reduction. Landsustainable food security for all by 2020, September
reform agendas have huge possibility to raise2001, p 17.
agricultural production; however it is important thatDevereux, S (2001) Famine in Africa, Issues in food
reforms be go along with all-inclusive programmes ofsecurity, in Devereux and Maxwell (eds.) op cit, p
agriculture reforms including access to credit services,143.There has been a decrease in the number of
savings and also markets in rural regions if they areundernourished people in developing countries
to deeply level out the inefficiencies of disparities.Diouf, J (2002): FAO director general, World Food
(WFP, 2002)Day in 2002 edition of the state of food insecurity in
the world, op cit.
HIV/AIDSFAO (2002): The state of food insecurity in the
The recent food shortage crisis is inextricablyworld, p 1 <
correlated to the prevalent HIV epidemic which hasFAO, Extracts from international and regional
worsened the calamity. Sub-Saharan Africa is theinstruments and declarations, and other authoritative
worst hit section, with 9% of the total populationtexts addressing the right to food, Rome, 1999.
infected with HIV/AIDS. In Southern Africa, infectionInternational code of conduct on the human right to
rates average about 25% of the total population,adequate food.
while 58% of the affected are women, whereFinancial Times, 6 November 2002.
women take part in agricultural production, foodGrunwald, M (2003): Food shortage, The Washington
security at the family and society stage is beingPost, 7 January 2003.
gravely threatened. Every dimension of food security;Lipton, L( 2001): What productive resources do the
availability, access, stability and food use; arepoor really need to escape poverty? Conference on
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Farming abilities are being mislaid, agricultural growths2001, p 66.
efforts are falling short, rural incomes areMadeley, J (2002); Food for all: The need for a new
disintegrating, industrious ability to toil the land isagriculture, p 34.
decreasing and family earnings are declining. In tenMaxwell, S (2000): The evolution of thinking about
most affected Sub-Sahara African nations, labourfood security, in S Devereux and
force reduction ranging from 10 to 26% areMaxwell, S (2002): Agricultural issues in food security,
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Zimbabwe’s farming labour force was mislaidMcCalla, A (2001): The long arm of industrialised
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behaviour which steers the HIV/AIDS endemic; andFood Programme, briefing the UN Security Council in
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which yet again feeds into the risk. (Oxfam, 2002)Oxfam Briefing Paper No. 23, Crisis in southern Africa,
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Economic crisisOxfam International Briefing Paper No. 9, Eight broken
Each of the afore mentioned has to be observed inpromises: Why the WTO isn’t working for the
the background of structural distortions andworld’s poor.
disparities in the region’s economy; aboutRajalakshmi,T.K (2002): Hunger amidst plenty,
60—70% of labour force is in agricultureFrontline (19)1, 5-18 January,
section, that contributes below 20% to GDP,UN OCHA Southern Africa: Year-ender 2002 —
whereas 30% of the labour force is in the industryNew thinking needed on food security, 20 January
and services that contributes 90% to GDP. This2003.