AGFAX: September 2009
Hungry season - a deepening crisis
John Magrath, Ephraim Chirwa, Miniva Chibuye, Josphat Mushongah, Neela Mukherjee, Sergiy Radyakin and Tennyson Magombo: Oxfam Programme Researcher, UK, Professor of Economics, University of Malawi, Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection, Malawi, Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, UK, Action researcher and practitioner, India, Consultant, World Bank
Summary:
Despite countless initiatives to boost agricultural production in sub-Saharan Africa, seasonal hunger continues to blight the lives of millions of families. Poor storage is just one reason behind it, with farmers losing much of their harvest to pests and damage. As a result, in the weeks and even months prior to harvest, families have to scrape by on minimal food or income. And with climate change making rainfall increasingly unpredictable in many areas, small-scale farmers seem to be more vulnerable than ever. At a recent workshop - Seasonality revisited - experts considered the best ways forward. Hungry season - a deepening crisis presents a selection of their views.
View related article in New Agriculturist: Points of view: Uncovering seasonality
Suggested introduction:
Every year about 600 million people suffer from seasonal hunger, when the previous year's harvest stocks have decreased, food prices are high and jobs are scarce. Climate change is also having a dramatic effect, as farmers from across the world report that the seasons are changing, becoming more extreme and unpredictable.
At a recent conference called Seasonality Revisited, experts met to reflect on current research and propose ideas to help in the fight against seasonal poverty and hunger. Seven participants from Africa, Europe and India offer their views on seasonality, explain how people cope and suggest ways in which these families can be assisted.
Tape in:
The seasons are changing...
Tape out:
...and improve their livelihoods.
Closing Announcement:
Tennyson Magombo, a graduate student at the Bunda College of Agriculture in Malawi, ending that selection of views on the growing problem of seasonal hunger.
Making the most of it:
Is the problem of the hungry season getting better or worse in your country? Are there any national programmes to address it - and how should this be done? An interesting discussion, either for listeners or an expert panel.
Further information:
Seasonality revisited: event.future-agricultures.org/
Transcript
Magrath
The seasons are changing; they are becoming more extreme. Wet seasons are becoming wetter, rainfall more intense, and dry seasons are becoming longer, so effectively the growing season for crops is becoming shorter. It's always been difficult, but there is even greater uncertainty now. They can't fix on a certain date for planting and sowing or even for harvesting.
Chirwa
Seasonality is important in the way it affects the poor, particularly in Malawi where we have a seasonal agricultural cycle and we have periods where most of the families do not have enough food for themselves. So basically during that time they actually reduce their consumption and their poverty actually depends at that season compared to the season when they have lots of harvest.
Chibuye
The coping strategies usually for both the urban areas and the rural areas would be reduction in the food items that they eat and also the quality of food that they take. So you see a continuous reduction of quantity and quality of food that is consumed.
Mushongah
I think there are various ways in which the people cope, but given Zimbabwe's current context their coping mechanism may have been undermined by the multiple shocks and stresses which have been taking place over the years, particularly the HIV/AIDS, droughts, social and political crises. They have undermined the people's capacity to cope.
Chirwa
Most families will reduce their consumption of certain foods. In some cases maybe just eat once a day and that's how they survive. I would say not coping, but that's how they survive.
Magrath
We've got to combine assistance to farmers at the right times, boost funding for agricultural research that really meets farmers' needs, but mix that with the social protection agenda. I think really that farmers, in the light of greater uncertainty, they need more they need more certainty in their lives in the form of a predictable income that all people should get.
Mukherjee
One thing which the policymakers can do is to go to villages and see for themselves how poor women and men are coping with seasonality and to go in the hunger seasons, the wet season, and even the dry seasons, and to actually go and see for themselves what they can do in terms of policymaking.
Chirwa
I think that targeting the particular season when the poor have difficulties may not be a good idea at all, but provide some predictable assistance where the poor make their own decisions on what to do. Because once you provide some predictable assistance to the poor they will make decisions that suit best their situations.
Radyakin
Public policies should provide adequate responses to seasonality. One of the responses could be diversification of activities and means of income to the poor. Such responses could be engaging in the industrial production in the seasons where agricultural activity is not possible due to weather conditions. And also diversification of staple foods such as introducing new cultures that are more robust to the extreme weather conditions.
Chibuye
If I had one wish it would be to increase irrigation levels, because I think it is very clear the reason why people are not producing enough is that they depend so much on rain-fed agriculture. I would increase the production base by making sure that they have irrigation facilities to help them grow even during periods when there is no rain.
Magombo
If I had one wish I would like to strengthen up the capacity of the farmers' organisations in my country in such a way that farmers should be able to have very big storage facilities and bag their produce. So if farmers can really keep their produce and sell at the time when the demand is high and the supply is low, then they can really fetch a lot of money and improve their livelihoods. End track
