Extreme weather, a new coronavirus, the invasion of Ukraine. The number of hungry people in the world is increasing rapidly as a result of a series of major global problems. West Africa is facing one of the most serious food crises. What is the current state of the food crisis in West Africa, which is becoming increasingly serious due to a variety of factors? And what should be done to solve the problem? Yasuhiro Tsumura, Director of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) Gambia Office, who has been engaged in food aid activities in Africa for many years, and Shinjiro Amameishi, Deputy Director of JICA’s Economic Development Division in charge of agriculture and rural development, exchange opinions. Japan is also being affected by soaring food prices. The food crisis is not a story of a distant country.
Hunger Population Growing at Worst Level Ever
–In addition to the spread of the new coronavirus, the invasion of Ukraine by Russia continues. This has resulted in a severe food crisis around the world and an increasing number of people are suffering from hunger. How do you perceive the current situation?
Yasuhiro Tsumura, Director of the UN WFP Gambia Office (Mr. Tsumura): According to the UN WFP, the number of people suffering from severe hunger (acute food insecurity), which poses an imminent risk to life and livelihood and requires urgent assistance, will reach 345 million in 82 countries in 2022. This is an increase of approximately 200 million people compared to 2019, before the spread of the new coronavirus. This rate of increase is the worst ever seen. First, logistics were severely impacted by the movement restrictions and border blockades of the coronary disaster. Then, just when we thought the corona had finally subsided a bit, Russia invaded Ukraine. The food supply situation continues to deteriorate, and I fear that the food crisis situation involving the entire world will continue for a long time.
Yasuhiro Tsumura: Director of the UN WFP Gambia Office. After working for private companies and organizations, Mr. Tsumura has been with the United Nations World Food Programme since 1998. He has worked in Kosovo, Kenya, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, West African Regional Office in Senegal, Mauritania, Sierra Leone, and now in The Gambia. Participating in this dialogue online from The Gambia
From UN WFP
Mr. Shinjiro Amameishi, Deputy Director, Economic Development Division, JICA: We take the situation very seriously, and JICA has been working for many years in the areas of hunger eradication, agricultural development, and nutrition for sustainable development in developing countries. Unfortunately, the percentage of undernourished people began to rise around 2014, especially in Africa, due to economic conditions, extreme weather, and political instability. The spread of the new coronavirus added a major blow to this situation. In addition, as noted by the UN WFP, conflict was a factor in last year’s famine. We recognize that Africa is in a difficult situation, facing multiple risks.
Shinjiro Amameishi: Deputy Director of JICA’s Economic Development Department (Agriculture and Rural Development Group II), joined JICA in 1994. After working as an expert in Laos, FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (long-term training), and JICA Tanzania Office, he was in charge of agriculture-related and other projects at JICA Kenya Office from 2016 to 2020. Currently, mainly involved in agricultural development in Africa and the Middle East and Europe.
–Please tell us about the current situation in West Africa, where the food crisis is one of the most serious problems in the world, and the factors behind it.
Mr. Tsumura: In West Africa, climate change is exacerbating weather irregularities, causing frequent droughts and floods, making it difficult to secure food supplies. Many countries have chronic poverty and weak governance, so as soon as food prices rise, demonstrations erupt, causing political unrest. Military coups (including attempted coups) have also occurred in several countries. In addition, when natural resources such as water and pasture become scarce due to irregular weather conditions caused by climate change, conflicts occur, people are forced to leave where they live, and when migration becomes a destabilizing factor, conflicts erupt elsewhere. The food crisis is also a major factor in this situation. Incidentally, The Gambia is currently experiencing the heaviest rainfall in 35 years, causing flooding in many areas, and emergency food aid is being provided to the victims.
In addition, West Africa relies on imports from Russia and Ukraine for much of the fertilizer needed for agricultural production. This year, 40% of the required amount has not been secured, and there are fears that the next harvest could be even more significantly lower.
Mauritania, West Africa. Mr. Tsumura stands beside the carcasses of livestock that have dried up due to drought.
Mr. Tsumura (center) discussed emergency food aid with Gambian government officials as a measure to combat poverty caused by the Corona disaster.
Mr. Amameishi: I believe that it is precisely Africa’s vulnerability to various shocks that has led to this severe food crisis. When I was in Kenya for three and a half years, we faced extreme weather events such as droughts and heavy rains every year, but not enough measures were taken. I believe that the ability of African countries to develop the capacity to cope with shocks will be tested in the future. Mr. Amameishi (back center) inspects a well installed in an arid area in Turkana County, northern Kenya, while stationed in Kenya.
Medium- to long-term efforts to improve the ability to respond to shocks are essential.
-What initiatives are needed in the future to address the unprecedented food crisis in West Africa, where various factors are intertwined?
Ms. Tsumura: I have been working for the UN WFP for 14 years in Africa, including in West Africa, where I have been involved in relief activities in Senegal, Mauritania, Sierra Leone, and The Gambia. UN WFP provides emergency assistance to victims of conflicts and natural disasters by distributing food and providing cash to buy food. At the same time, it is also responsible for supporting self-reliant development to build resilient countries by enhancing their capacity to cope with disasters and other situations. Many countries in West Africa are particularly vulnerable to various shocks, and medium- to long-term development assistance is essential.
The Gambia is currently promoting a program to promote locally produced, locally consumed school lunches. This is an initiative to prepare school lunches using ingredients purchased from small-scale local farmers. The program aims to improve children’s nutrition and break the vicious cycle of poverty by creating self-reliant communities. In Sierra Leone, we have also worked with JICA to promote the dissemination of rice cultivation and irrigation facility technology.
Children eating school lunch at an elementary school in The Gambia
Mr. Amameishi: In Africa, JICA is promoting the SHEP (Market Oriented Agricultural Promotion) approach, which aims for “profitable” agriculture for producers, and the Community for the Advancement of Rice Cultivation (CARD). In the agricultural sector, JICA is working on cooperation to improve the response capacity of farmers through capacity building from a long-term perspective. UN-WFP is involved in development assistance as well as emergency humanitarian aid, and we hope to utilize each other’s strengths to enhance the resilience of vulnerable countries.
Kenyan farmers growing marketable vegetables by implementing JICA’s SHEP (Market Oriented Agricultural Promotion) approach.
Mr. Tsumura: As the issue of the food crisis becomes more complex, it is important to work with various organizations to complement each other. Among them, there are various initiatives in the school field, including locally produced and locally consumed school lunches, health, nutrition, education, and many other areas. We would very much like to collaborate with other organizations.
Turning African agriculture into an attractive business
–What is the direction of support needed in the future to prepare for another possible food crisis in the future?
Mr. Tsumura: We need to look at food security in a comprehensive manner. It is important to view production, harvesting, processing, distribution, sales, and consumption as a food system, and to involve all public and private actors involved in support efforts. Establishing a food stockpiling system is also an issue.
In West Africa, particularly in The Gambia, there is a continuing exodus of young people from rural to urban areas because agriculture is not profitable. If agriculture were a profitable and attractive business, many people would want to do it. Within the food system, we would like to create projects that lead to business, not just for food. We feel that there is a limit to conventional poverty assistance. We would also like to realize cooperation with the private sector.
Amanimeishi: It is essential to strengthen the food and agriculture sector, from the national to the individual level: in 2003, the African Union (AU) declared that 10% of national budgets should be allocated to agriculture and rural development. However, this has not been achieved in many countries since then, partly due to the diversity of development issues. Food security is necessary for human beings to live with dignity. I believe that African countries and development aid agencies should take a lesson from the recent food crisis and look again at the agricultural sector. And it is necessary to strengthen field-level initiatives for small-scale farmers and other farmers.
Aware of the problem of the reality that the powerless countries are being forced to take on more and more of the burden.
-The food crisis caused by the Corona disaster and the invasion of Ukraine is not a distant story, as food prices are rising in Japan as well. What are your thoughts on the need for everyone to recognize the food crisis facing the world today as their own?
Amanimeishi: Why do food crises occur in some regions while the world’s overall food production continues to increase? It is because countries that are powerful and capable of responding to shocks are able to secure food, while countries that are less powerful and vulnerable to shocks are left to suffer. Food prices are rising in Japan, and more and more countries and people around the world are facing threats to their food access. Now is the time when the food crisis is attracting attention, and we must first be aware of this reality.
Mr. Tsumura: With the Corona disaster and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, I think everyone has become familiar with the global problems. Whether you are in Japan or Africa, you face the same problems and are interdependent. If we can first recognize and understand this, and each of us can be motivated to take action, we can work toward SDG Goal 2, “Zero Hunger,” and although we may not make it to the target year of 2030, we would like to move as close to the goal as possible. We will continue to send out our voices from the field from West Africa.
© Source JICA
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