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Tag: Food insecurity

  • A different perspective on food insecurity

    A different perspective on food insecurity

    By Abiodun Ladepo

    In our quest to get into farming, my wife and I did a lot of spadework. We talked to farmers in our intended particular areas of focus – cattle and fish. We read up. We studied. We visited farms. We heard from experienced farmers.

    We heard about all sorts of problems. In our own heads, we re-processed those problems and made plans to mitigate them. We also knew that some of the issues were self-inflicted or specific to specific farmers and not industry-wide, so to speak.

    I was delighted to see many farmers encourage us – still encouraging; happy that we were entering the field and doing everything to ensure that we succeed and remain motivated.

    I was also sad to see some farmers doing everything to frustrate and dissuade us from getting into farming. They don’t want serious competition.

    But the biggest disappointment I encountered last week was learning that fish farmers (and possibly other crop farmers) have unions that set the “lowest limit” prices below which a farmer may not sell his fishes.

    You probably never heard this before, so I will repeat:

    Fish farmers have unions – trade unions like the NLC and TUC. They use the unions to agitate for government assistance and all that – which is not a bad thing. But they also, quietly, set the per kg prices of fishes in their areas. And they enforce it!

    So, even if you manage to lower your cost of production and choose to sell at a lower price, you can’t.

    They do not set a “highest limit”. So, you can sell higher if you get a gullible customer.

    Think about this: In every market, there are unions for each major commodity – pepper, yam, tomatoes, meat, eggs, chickens etc. They all set “lowest limit” prices, mostly because they share the same major supplier who is member of a bigger union that has set “lowest limit” prices too.

    This is not new. Bricklayers have unions. They set fees. Labourers have unions. They set fees. Sand/gravel/granite suppliers have unions. They set prices. Commercial vehicles and Okadas have unions. They set costs. etc.

    None of these unions set “highest limits”. They set “lowest limits”.

    Who is killing whom?

    Read Also: and Lagos Island as part of activities to commemorate the bank’s third anniversary. In Kano

    It was just so distressing hearing a major fish farmer talk about how they enforce “lowest limit” prices.

    When has food not been expensive in this country? You can argue that the rate of inflation has been drastically higher since about a year ago, but when have we not complained of “drastic cost of food” in this country?

    I have been hearing about the flight of farmers from the rural areas to the cities since I was old enough to understand what it means.

    If low food production and the attendant high costs are new phenomena caused by the Tinubu administration, why did the military government of Obasanjo (1976 – 1979), have the “Operation Feed the Nation” (OFN) nationwide program and propaganda?

    Why did the civilian government of Shagari (1979 – 1983) have the “Green Revolution” – another national agro-centred massive program to boost agriculture?

    Who, 30 years and older, has never heard that nobody wants to remain in the farm anymore; that everybody now wants to move to the cities and wear a tie?

    Did insecurity on the farms begin 30 years ago? Did it begin 20 years ago? Did it begin 10 years ago? Or did it begin 60 years ago?

    Aren’t we just looking for excuses?

    Since when did insecurity on Okada stop us from riding Okada? Or don’t more people die or get seriously injured on Okada daily than on the farms yearly?

    Since when did insecurity on our roads stop us from travelling by car or bus – commercial or private? Don’t more people die on the roads daily than are killed on the farms yearly?

    I read a Facebook post where the writer, supposedly a farmer, wrote that “Tinubu should just solve insecurity problems and we will return to the farms.”

    Really? What does he mean by “solve”? Completely removing the threat of kidnapping on the farm? Don’t people get kidnapped going to work at the bank? What about police officers killed in line of duty? What about soldiers killed in line of duty? What about electricity workers killed in line of duty? What about journalists killed in line of duty? What about traders killed in line of duty? All in Nigeria. All in every country of this world. Should they also quit working because they don’t want to die?

    Or are we just looking for excuses?

    How exactly will the federal government produce cheaper crops when the petrol they produce has steadily risen in price since we discovered oil?

    What business has the federal government (or state government, or local government) run and made profit on other than taxation?

    Do we also want federal government to be feeding us for free? How? Where is the money?

    In America, from where we copied our brand of democracy, and indeed in most of the Western world, the governments – federal, state/region, local/county – DO NOT directly get involved in farming.

    Private entities farm. Individuals and corporations – all private – farm.

    Governments just assist: facilitate with low- or no-interest loans which farmers use in buying farm machinery; sponsor research to improve seedlings; subsidize herbicides; guarantee purchase of crops if farmers are unable to sell by themselves; help (through Agriculture, Trade and Commerce sections at their embassies) to find buyers for their farm products, etc.

    Yet, food prices have NEVER gone down in those countries. Fact check me: the price of bread in America today is at least three times what it was in 2019. Same for everything you find in the grocery stores. Fact check this too: Overall cost of living in virtually every country in Africa is higher than in Nigeria. Overall, I said.

    Just like we have been abandoning farming since forever for life in the cities, folks in America too (let’s stick to one Western country for the sake of brevity) have been abandoning farming. Ninety percent of farm workers in America are foreigners – undocumented immigrants (euphemism for illegal immigrants) from Mexico and South American countries.

    And they too are wisening up. Once they get more comfortable in America, they quit farming.

    Folks that blame Tinubu (and indeed all the presidents before him) cite China as an example of countries that’s modernized agriculture and feed their huge population easily.

    Well, China is NOT a democracy. Let’s remember that.

    China is a communist, unitarian, one-party state – meaning there is only one political party (the Chinese Communist Party); one legislature  – the National People’s Congress (NPC), no state or local governments; everyone works for the state and produces for the state.

    Is that what we want?

    Maybe we need a society where there is no dissent; where corrupt officials are executed; where secession agitators are permanently silenced; where billionaires are fewer per capita.

    China can be world leader in freshwater fishing and aquaculture, pigs, chickens, and eggs, in part because of its system of government.

    Should we change from presidential democracy to unitarian communism?

    •Ladepo writes from Ibadan, Oyo State

  • Food Insecurity and the cost of living crisis

    Food Insecurity and the cost of living crisis

    Some of you may note that this will be my 3rd episode this year dedicated to the key issue of cost of living due to the importance of the issue in our polity and the ongoing efforts by Governments to curtail this very worrisome situation. Therefore, this is a reiteration of some of my humble contributions and additional perspectives for governments to consider while trying to alleviate the situation.

    Security as a critical success factor for food security

    The critical success factor to turn around the socio-economic malaise in Nigeria is first and foremost tackling insecurity. Otherwise, any other initiative will be a “flash in the pan”. This is because the recent escalation of insecurity around the northwest, north-central, and even southeast is hampering food production, otherwise, we are taking two steps forward and three steps backward. This has significantly impacted food security. The northern part of Nigeria is the food basket of the nation and is arguably some part of the West African sub-region. Farmers have gone to the farm late this year. Climate change is impacting, and the danger of food insecurity is looming. There is a need for quick actions

     The recently concluded meetings of the Southern Governors meetings and the ongoing North-West Governors Summit on Security and also the just concluded meeting on security by the North-East region State Directors of the Department of State Security Services (DSS) clearly show how Federal and State governments are prioritizing the issue of Security in governance. What remains to be seen is how the meetings and engagements will result in tangible positive outcomes. This is because, without security, there will be no peace or any form of development. 

    The 2024 rainy season came a bit late but as it settles in, there are major concerns of the projections of poor yield this year due to the late start of the rain, excessive heat, floods, and crops diseases due to global warming. The projections are already becoming realities especially as the rainy season started late in the northern part of Nigeria, and more importantly insecurity issues. In the past 3 weeks, the terrorist attacks on communities in Katsina, Zamfara, and Niger States are going on unabated, with some villages around Danmusa in Katsina State almost sacked. These in addition to other areas in Nigeria. These are agrarian communities that are critical to food production. Unless our communities and villages are safe, we will face imminent food scarcity by the 4th quarter of this year which is a key harvest period and this will have devastating consequences on the already dire situation that we are facing in this Country.

     Accordingly, some farmers cannot go to their farms due to kidnappings, banditry, and other forms of terrorism. And for those farmers that go to the farms they end up most likely paying three or four types of taxes/levies, i.e. Local Government levies, State Government levies, Federal Government levies, and the levies they pay to terrorists/ bandits or kidnappers. We cannot expect those farmers/up-takers to sell the products at a “reasonable” price” without considering their cost of production. In terms of production, power is not available, people have to resort to self—help to generate power at a cost that is rising (e.g. Diesel) to be able to produce goods or provide services. The government needs to be practical and sincere and address the key drivers of production in the economy so that we can turn around the rising cost of living. I also agree that there should be a measure of containment and control of over-pricing which can only be feasible if we deal with the aforementioned issues. For example, tackling insecurity at national and state levels so that farmers can go back to the farms this year’s farming season should be the first step and will be a critical success factor.

    The brutal impact of rising food inflation

    Of all the inflationary trends, I want governments to focus at food inflation as the key performance indicator for this economy and a driver for economic turnaround – as a “shock absorber” and as a catalyst for economic diversification. Food inflation should attract our attention more that headline inflation, and the core inflation. All food items have more than doubled their costs in the past 8 months and the prices will increase due food supply reduces due to scarcity as the rainy season sets in. Things are so bad that now a tuber of yam is split into 2 or 3 portions to be retailed. In some part of northern Nigeria, multi-dimensionally poor families and individuals are beginning to eat grasses and even dustbins are now becoming scarce of food remnants. Human beings are beginning to compete with animals for plants that hitherto human beings only feed animals. Things are really getting uglier.

    Read Also: Lagos moves to curb food insecurity at grassroots

    In addition to the potential low production/ yields due to inflation and insecurity, we have also exhausted our strategic grains reserves without replenishing them. Therefore, disaster is looming because potentially, by the 4th quarter of this year, the agricultural yields will not be enough to meet up with rising local demand. And as we all know food production drives the economy in terms of food security and raw materials for critical production sectors including medicine, pharmacy, textiles, etc.

    Food Security

    One of the key interventions that Mr. President provided was the release of over 24,000 tonnes of grains. But it is important for us to note the rule of subtraction without addition – it means we are depleting or we have already depleted our strategic reserves. So, I expect that within the whole intervention framework, that going forward, we will have plans to replenish the strategic grain reserves as quickly as possible, because the strategic grain reserves are the last lines of defense and must be available at all times. Otherwise in the next 5 to 6 months during the rainy seasons, naturally there are food shortages during the rainy seasons even without the issues of insecurity, global warming, and the depleted strategic grain reserves. It means that there is a potential disaster by quarter 4 of this year if a concerted well-thought-out strategy is in place immediately to proactively manage the impending danger.

     There is a connection between food insecurity and health, education, and poverty. Because the agriculture value chain produces not just food, but raw materials for industries, raw materials for medicine, and healthcare. Food insecurity will also increase the rate of malnutrition in some parts of Nigeria, especially the northern region where we have the highest number of multi-dimensionally poor Nigerians constituting about 70%. In addition, because of malnutrition and increased infant mortality, there is already a prevalence of hunger and poverty. People are dying due to hunger, and people have started resorting to desperate measures resulting in social unrest and an increase in crime.

      Therefore, there is an urgent need to deal with the factors that drive inflation i.e. cost of production, availability of the products (e.g. food, or other goods and services), cost of logistics, cost of storage, availability and cost of power (electricity), insecurity, etc.

    Youth Empowerment in Agriculture

    The youths of any society or nation are key to the development and substance of that nation.  A very worrisome situation in Nigeria is the lack of deepening commitments and impacts with regard to the support for Nigerian youths to seriously take Agriculture as a profession or business. Part of the issue is that Agriculture has been nationally unattractive and more of a campaign tool than a national and state economic development tool. Over time, successive administrations have not sustained agriculture initiatives and interventions that would have made agriculture the “go-to” industry, for people to be encouraged to join farming.

    Role of states and local governments

    The importance of the roles of the States and Local Governments to improve our Agricultural value chain and its socio-economic contributions cannot be over-emphasized. Apart from the national agriculture sectoral reform strategy, which I have also suggested in in many for a that that we should have at the Federal level, the State Governors, the National Assembly, and state assemblies need to do more in crafting their various Agriculture reform strategies that will key into the overarching national development plan while taking into cognizance their peculiarities with a view to harnessing all their agricultural resources in the states for better socio-economic impacts -short to long term.

     More than any other arm or tier of government, the state governments have a more direct and tangential role to play in alleviating the lives of their people. Going forward there should be more attention from the people on the state Governors and demand for good governance accountability and performance. The coming months will be key indicators. 

  • Food insecurity: Fed Govt to ban portfolio, political farmers, says minister

    Food insecurity: Fed Govt to ban portfolio, political farmers, says minister

    • NEXiM boss urges EFCC to recover intervention fund

    The Federal Government has started moves to ban “portfolios and political farmers” parading themselves as farmers ahead of this year’s farming season.

    The Minister of State for Agriculture, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, announced this yesterday in Abuja at a a roundtable discussion on: The Food Price, the Forex and the Farmer, organised by the Progressive Forum to mark the 44th birthday of its leader, Ismaeel Ahmed.

    Abdullahi said the government would soon embark on a programme that seeks to identify real farmers to ensure that government interventions in the sector get to genuine farmers.

    The minister announced that the government was developing a strategy to direct attention to institutions with land to embark on massive production to fight food insecurity and the high cost of foodstuffs in the country.

    He said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had given the ministry the necessary support to ensure that the genuine farmers were got real support.

    Read Also: Food insecurity: FG to ban ‘portfolios, political farmers’ – Agric minister

    Abdullahi said: “In terms of support, I am happy the farmers have realised that all countries provide support for agriculture in billions and equipment. Well, they call it subsidy, but we in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture call it support.

    “What we are giving is support. There could be technical support, there could be infrastructural support, there could be advisory extension support. Support is support. What it means is that the farmers need to be aided to achieve the maximum productivity that we need.

    “Having analysed what we met on the ground when we came in last year, we realised it is important that we recognise the value of our smallholder farmers. But we can also do with supporting those who have massively invested in different farming operations across the country, those who need one type of support or the other from the government but have not been able to get it.

    “This year, we intend to start a programme that will highlight who these people are, where they are located, and what farming operation they do. Through this, we can key them in as verified genuine farmers, not the portfolios farmers, not the political farmers, not the fake farmers who come in with tens and thousands of hectares claim just to siphon whatever support government is making available for farmers.”

  • Food insecurity: FG to ban ‘portfolios, political farmers’ – Agric minister

    Food insecurity: FG to ban ‘portfolios, political farmers’ – Agric minister

    In a bid to ensure food security, the federal government is set to ban “portfolios and political farmers” parading themselves as real farmers ahead of this year’s farming season.

    Minister of State, Agriculture, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, disclosed this on Thursday, March 21, during a roundtable conversation on “the Food Price, the Forex and the Farmer” organised by the Progressive Forum to mark the 44th birthday of its leader, Barrister Ismaeel Ahmed.

    Abdullahi said the government would soon embark on a programme that seeks to identify real farmers to ensure that government to the sector gets to real farmers.

    He also said that the government is developing a strategy to direct attention to institutions with massive land to embark on massive production to fight food insecurity and the high cost of foodstuff in the country.

    The Minister further said that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has given his ministry the necessary support to ensure that the real farmers are properly targeted.

    Abdullahi said: “In terms of support, I am happy the farmers have realised that all countries provide support for agriculture in billions and equipment. Well, they call it subsidy but we in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture support, so what we are giving is support, there could be technical support, there could be infrastructural support, there could be advisory extension support. Support is support. What it means is that the farmers need to be aided to achieve the maximum productivity that we need.

    “Having analysed what we met on the ground when we came in last year, we realised it is important that we recognise the value of our smallholder farmers but we can also do with supporting those who have massively invested in different farming operations across the country, who need one or two support from the government but have not been able to get it.

    “This year we intend to start a programme that will highlight who these people are, where they are located, and what farming operation they do so that we can key them in as verified genuine farmers, not the portfolios farmers, not the political farmers, not the fake farmers who come in with ten and thousands of hectares claim just to siphon whatever support government is making available for farmers, and at the end of the day on paper we are supposed to have massive production but in reality, there is nothing to show for it.

    “These have been part of the problems we met but the good news here is that based on our engagements with sub-nationals, almost all the state governments have agreed with us that it is time to banish anybody that is not a real farmer, who come and tap into what the government is giving to real farmers who have genuine operations. That is a massive paradigm shift because the reality is before us now.”

    Executive Director of Business Development of the Nigeria Export-Import Bank (NEXIM), Hon Stella Okotete also challenged anti-graft agencies to ensure the recovery of over N100 billion intervention fund accessed by dubious Nigerians under the pretext of enhancing food production in the country.

    She complained that some individuals and corporate bodies enjoyed government interventions and rebates during the last administration of President Muhammad Buhari but failed to the monies they collected.

    Admitting that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has been overwhelmed with many corrupt cases, Okotete, who was former APC National Women Leader maintained that tracing such defaulters would not be difficult since the monies were disbursed to them through commercial banks in the country.

    Calling for a master plan to revive agriculture in the three tiers of government, Okotete said it behoves states governors of the federation to take a cue from Governor Umaru Bago of Niger state who has put in place measures to revive agriculture in the state.

    Read Also: Food insecurity: Low, middle-income countries record high inflation — World Bank report

    She added: “The federal government must stop smiling with the states and local councils by making sure they do the right thing. They must come up with a master plan like the way Niger State is doing. What are Rivers and Bayelsa that collect more money than Niger state doing with their money in this regard?

    “Somebody said we need to do capacity screening on our governors because a lot of them are intellectually lazy. We need to draw up an agriculture master plan to boost agriculture in the country.”

    Speaking at the event, the celebrant, Barrister Ismaeel, who was a former APC National Youth Leader advised the government to ensure people are well informed on what the government is doing to stabilize the challenges of food and forex crisis causing hardship for Nigerians.

  • Sujimoto, Enugu govt unite against food insecurity

    Sujimoto, Enugu govt unite against food insecurity

    In a strategic move to combat food insecurity and foster economic growth, Sujimoto Group is set to collaborate with the Enugu State Government on an unprecedented agricultural initiative.

    The ambitious project involves the establishment of the Sujimoto Rice Farm Estate, spanning an extensive 30,000 hectares of land.

    Enugu, historically known as the City of Coal, with a legacy marked by influential figures such as Chief Nnamdi Azikiwe and Akanu Ibiam, is poised for transformation under the visionary leadership of Governor Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah.

    The collaboration aims to leverage the state’s vast resources, favorable weather conditions, and a land area of 7,161 km2 to propel Enugu into a $30 billion economy by 2030.

    The Sujimoto Farm Estate, a pioneering endeavor, will not only focus on advanced rice farming but also integrate housing, farm hospitals, hotels, and markets within a holistic ecosystem.

    This multifaceted approach is designed to drive agro-tourism, generate employment opportunities, and provide affordable housing solutions for the people of Enugu State.

    Upon arrival in the city through the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, the Sujimoto team was warmly welcomed by the hospitable Ndi Enugu, reflecting the community’s enthusiasm for progressive development.

    Read Also: Food insecurity: Low, middle-income countries record high inflation — World Bank report

    The Chief of Staff, Barrister Victor Udeh, facilitated a smooth transition to the Maxbe Continental Hotel, underscoring the governor’s commitment to ensuring a comfortable stay.

    During their visit, the Sujimoto team immersed themselves in the local culture, enjoying traditional delicacies at a well-structured Mama Put establishment.

    The scenic drive through the city showcased ongoing infrastructural developments, emphasizing the transformative agenda implemented by Governor Mbah since assuming office in 2023.

    The heart of the collaboration lies in the ambitious project’s scale, spanning over 30,000 hectares of rice farm with an annual production target of 800,000 tonnes.

    This initiative is anticipated to revolutionize rice paddy processing, enhance self-sufficiency, and contribute significantly to economic growth in Enugu State, creating over 10,000 jobs, particularly for youth and women.

     Mbah’s unwavering support for the project was evident, as he emphasized, “Nothing will stop this ambitious project—not money, not location. I will do everything within my capacity to make sure this project comes to fruition.” The collaboration also extends to exploring opportunities for a Sujimoto cement plant in Enugu, capitalizing on the state’s resources such as coal and limestone.

    Dr. Sijibomi Ogundele, the Group Managing Director of Sujimoto Group, expressed confidence in Enugu’s potential to replicate the economic prosperity witnessed in Dubai and Singapore. The collaborative efforts align with Governor Mbah’s vision of making Enugu the investment capital of Nigeria.

    Beyond the agricultural venture, discussions also encompassed Sujimoto’s ambitious smart city project, a blueprint for replicating the success of Dubai in select Nigerian cities. The meeting explored the possibility of extending the Smart City project to cover Enugu State as a major capital city in south-eastern Nigeria.

    As the collaboration progresses, the Sujimoto Farm Estate is poised to play a pivotal role in realizing Governor Mbah’s vision for Enugu State’s transformation across various sectors. The project’s overarching goal is to contribute to reducing hunger to zero by 2031, positioning the coal city state as a prominent agro-tourism destination and the nation’s food basket.

    Dr. Sijibomi Ogundele, known as the Czar of Luxury Real Estate Development, concluded the visit with gratitude for the support received from key figures such as the Commissioner of Agriculture, Hon. Patrick Nwabueze Ubru, and Special Adviser to the Governor, Engr. Mike Ogbuekwe. The collaboration represents a significant milestone in Enugu’s journey towards economic prosperity and sustainable development.

  • Food insecurity: Low, middle-income countries record high inflation — World Bank report

    Food insecurity: Low, middle-income countries record high inflation — World Bank report

    The World Bank‘s latest update indicates that almost all low- and middle-income countries and close to half of high-income countries now experience high food price inflation.

    Inflation higher than 5% is experienced in 63.2% of low-income countries, 73.9% of lower-middle-income countries, 48% of upper-middle-income countries, and 46.3% of high-income countries. In real terms, food price inflation exceeded overall inflation in 73% of the 165 countries where data is available.

    Domestic food price inflation remains high. Inflation higher than 5% is experienced in 63.2% of low-income countries (1.3 percentage points higher than in the last update on December 14, 2023), 73.9% of lower-middle-income countries (2.2-percentage points lower), 48% of upper-middle-income countries (2.0 percentage points lower), and 46.3% of high-income countries (11.1 percentage points lower). In real terms, food price inflation exceeded overall inflation in 73% of the 165 countries where data is available.

    Nigeria’s food outlook nothing to cheer about

    In 2024, Nigeria is expected to see about 26.5 million people grappling with high levels of food insecurity, as disclosed by the Government of Nigeria and its partners during the unveiling of the October 2023 Cadre Harmonisé analysis on food insecurity.

    This is just as approximately 9 million children are at risk of suffering from acute malnutrition or wasting. Of these, an alarming 2.6 million children could face Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) and require critical nutrition treatment.

    The Cadre Harmonisé, an initiative focused on food and nutrition analysis, conducts studies biannually (in March and October) across 26 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). With the Government’s leadership and the United Nations (UN) system’s support, the latest projection for 2024 indicates a sharp rise from the 18.6 million people currently vulnerable to food insecurity from October to December 2023.

    Several factors are driving this trend, including ongoing conflicts, climate change impacts, escalating inflation, and rising costs of both food and essential non-food commodities (in part due to the devaluation of the naira and the discontinuation of the fuel subsidy). Persistent violence in the north-eastern states of Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe (BAY) hinders food availability and access.

    Additionally, armed banditry and kidnappings in northwest and north-central states, including Katsina, Sokoto, Kaduna, Benue, and Niger, exacerbate the prevailing economic struggles.

    Dr. Ernest Umakhihe, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, underscored the significance of the Cadre Harmonisé during a presentation in Abuja.

    Represented by Mrs. Fausat Lawal, Director of Special Duties, Umekhihe highlighted that despite Government efforts, external challenges like the ongoing global economic effects of COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war, which disrupts food systems, persist.

    Of the 18.6 million people who experience food insecurity today, 3.3 million live in the northeastern states of the BAY region. This number might rise to 26.5 million nationwide by the height of the 2024 lean season (and to 4.4 million in the BAY states) if immediate action is not taken.

    Dominique Koffy Kouacou, the FAO Representative ad interim in Nigeria and to ECOWAS, while calling on the Government to expand CH coverage to the remaining 10 states said, FAO would continue to support the Government and the people of Nigeria to overcome food insecurity and malnutrition.

    Read Also; Tinubu’s quest for living wage for Nigerian workers: 37 to the rescue

    He stated, “In 2024, alongside our partners, FAO’s focus will be on agrifood systems transformation with deliberate attention on resilience-building, nutrition-sensitive agriculture, livestock, fisheries, and providing extension services.”

    The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that floods in October 2023 in Adamawa impacted around 8,500 households, leading to mass displacements, particularly among women, children, and the elderly. Such extreme weather patterns, linked to the El Niño phenomenon, are further undermining food security “Food insecurity and malnutrition are among the main drivers of humanitarian need in the BAY states,” said Mr. Trond Jensen, the head of OCHA in Nigeria.

    “People have been forced to adopt negative coping mechanisms such as survival sex and child labour to stay alive. Over the past year, dozens of farmers have lost their lives, and others have been abducted or injured while eking out a living outside the security perimeters of Borno’s garrison towns due to limited farming lands and few or no livelihood options.”

    Since the last update, of December 14, 2023, the agricultural and cereal price indices closed 2% and 4% lower, respectively, while the export price index closed 1% higher. Maize and wheat declined 8% and 6%, respectively, driving the decrease in the cereal price index, whereas rice prices have increased 4%. On a year-on-year basis, maize and wheat prices are 29% and 20% lower, respectively, while rice prices are 39% higher. Maize prices are 13% lower than in January 2021, wheat prices are 10% lower, while rice prices are 24% higher.

    In December 2023, the FAO Food Price Index was 118.5 points, 1.8 points (1.5%) lower than in November 2023. Decreases in the price indices for sugar and vegetable oils were the primary driver of this decrease; dairy and cereal prices increased. The index was 13.3 points (10.1%) below its December 2022 level. It averaged 124.0 points for 2023, 19.7 points (13.7%) less than for 2022.

    According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), the Gaza Strip is facing an alarming humanitarian crisis marked by catastrophic levels of acute food insecurity. The IPC indicates that, between November 24 and December 7, 2023, more than 90% of the Gaza Strip’s population, approximately 2.08 million people, faced high levels of acute food insecurity, classified as IPC Phase 3 or above (Crisis or worse), with more than 40% of these in Emergency (IPC Phase 4) and more than 15 percent in Catastrophe (IPC Phase 5). Between December 8, 2023, and February 7, 2024, the entire population (approximately 2.2 million people) will be in IPC Phase 3 or above—the largest share of any population in any area or country facing such severe food insecurity in the history of the IPC initiative. Approximately half of these will be in Emergency (IPC Phase 4), and more than one-quarter (500,000 people) will be in Catastrophe (IPC Phase 5). These catastrophic conditions involve extreme food scarcity, starvation, and depletion of coping capacities.

    Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, trade-related policies imposed by countries have surged. The global food crisis has been partially made worse by the growing number of food trade restrictions put in place by countries with a goal of increasing domestic supply and reducing prices. As of January 17, 2024, 15 countries have implemented 21 food export bans, and 11 have implemented 14 export-limiting measures.

    World Bank action

    It may be recalled that in May 2022, the World Bank made a commitment of making available $30 billion over a period of 15 months to tackle the crisis. We have surpassed that goal.

    The World Bank has scaled up its food and nutrition security response, to now making $45 billion available through a combination of $22 billion in new lending and $23 billion from existing portfolio.

    However, the Bank’s intervention is expected to benefit 335 million people, equivalent to 44% of the number of undernourished people. Around 53% of the beneficiaries are women – they are disproportionately more affected by the crisis.

    The $766 million West Africa Food Systems Resilience Program is working to increase preparedness against food insecurity and improve the resilience of food systems in West Africa. The program is increasing digital advisory services for agriculture and food crisis prevention and management, boosting adaptation capacity of agriculture system actors, and investing in regional food market integration and trade to increase food security. An additional $345 million is currently under preparation for Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.

    In Honduras, the Rural Competitiveness Project series (COMRURAL II and III) aims to generate entrepreneurship and employment opportunities while promoting a climate-conscious, nutrition-smart strategy in agri-food value chains. To date, the program is benefiting around 6,287 rural small-scale producers (of which 33% are women, 15% youth, and 11% indigenous) of coffee, vegetables, dairy, honey, and other commodities through enhanced market connections and adoption of improved agricultural technologies and has created 6,678 new jobs.

    The $2.75 billion Food Systems Resilience Program for Eastern and Southern Africa, helps countries in Eastern and Southern Africa increase the resilience of the region’s food systems and ability to tackle growing food insecurity. Now in phase three, the program will enhance inter-agency food crisis response and also boost medium- and long-term efforts for resilient agricultural production, sustainable development of natural resources, expanded market access, and a greater focus on food systems resilience in policymaking.

    A $95 million credit from IDA for the Malawi Agriculture Commercialization Project (AGCOM) to increase commercialization of select agriculture value chain products and to provide immediate and effective response to an eligible crisis or

    emergency.

    The $200 million IDA grant for Madagascar to strengthen decentralized service delivery, upgrade water supply, restore and protect landscapes, and strengthen the resilience of food and livelihood systems in the drought-prone ‘Grand Sud’.

    A $60 million credit for the Integrated Community Development Project that works with refugees and host communities in four northern provinces of Burundi to improve food and nutrition security, build socio-economic infrastructure, and support micro-enterprise development through a participatory approach.

    The $175 million Sahel Irrigation Initiative Regional Support Project is helping build resilience and boost productivity of agricultural and pastoral activities in Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Senegal. More than 130,000 farmers and members of pastoral communities are benefiting from small and medium-sized irrigation initiatives. The project is building a portfolio of bankable irrigation investment projects of around 68,000 ha, particularly in medium and large-scale irrigation in the Sahel region.

    Through the $50 million Emergency Food Security Response project, 329,000 smallholder farmers in the Central Africa Republic have received seeds, farming tools and training in agricultural and post-harvest techniques to boost crop production and become more resilient to climate and conflict risks.

    The $15 million Guinea Bissau Emergency Food Security Project is helping increase agriculture production and access to food to vulnerable families. Over 72,000 farmers have received drought-resistant and high-yielding seeds, fertilizers, agricultural equipment; and livestock vaccines for the country-wide vaccination program. In addition, 8,000 vulnerable households have received cash transfers to purchase food and tackle food insecurity.

    The $60 million Accelerating the Impact of CGIAR Research for Africa (AICCRA) project has reached nearly 3 million African farmers (39% women) with critical climate smart agriculture tools and information services in partnership with the Consortium of International Agricultural Research Centers (CGIAR). These tools and services are helping farmers to increase production and build resilience in the face of climate crisis. In Mali, studies showed that farmers using recommendations from the AICCRA-supported RiceAdvice had on average 0.9 ton per hectare higher yield and US$320 per hectare higher income.

    A $150 million grant for the second phase of the Yemen Food Security Response and Resilience Project, which will help address food insecurity, strengthen resilience and protect livelihoods.

    $50 million grant of additional financing for Tajikistan to mitigate food and nutrition insecurity impacts on households and enhance the overall resilience of the agriculture sector.

    A $125 million project in Jordan aims to strengthen the development of the agriculture sector by enhancing its climate resilience, increasing competitiveness and inclusion, and ensuring medium- to long-term food security.

    A $300 million project in Bolivia that will contribute to increasing food security, market access and the adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices.

    A $315 million loan to support Chad, Ghana and Sierra Leone to increase their preparedness against food insecurity and to improve the resilience of their food systems.

    A $500 million Emergency Food Security and Resilience Support Project to bolster Egypt’s efforts to ensure that poor and vulnerable households have uninterrupted access to bread, help strengthen the country’s resilience to food crises, and support reforms that will help improve nutritional outcomes.

    A $130 million loan for Tunisia, seeking to lessen the impact of the Ukraine war by financing vital soft wheat imports and providing emergency support to cover barley imports for dairy production and seeds for smallholder farmers for the upcoming planting season.

    In May 2022, the World Bank Group and the G7 Presidency co-convened the Global Alliance for Food Security, which aims to catalyze an immediate and concerted response to the unfolding global hunger crisis. The Alliance has developed the publicly accessible Global Food and Nutrition Security Dashboard, which provides timely information for global and local decision-makers to help improve coordination of the policy and financial response to the food crisis.

    The heads of the FAO, IMF, World Bank Group, WFP, and WTO released a Third Joint Statement on February 8, 2023. The statement calls to prevent a worsening of the food and nutrition security crisis, further urgent actions are required to (i) rescue hunger hotspots, (ii) facilitate trade, improve the functioning of markets, and enhance the role of the private sector, and (iii) reform and repurpose harmful subsidies with careful targeting and efficiency. Countries should balance short-term urgent interventions with longer-term resilience efforts as they respond to the crisis.

    Food security outlook for 2024

    From available information, with food security likely to remain one of the critical challenges for the world to face, the World Bank has therefore included food and nutrition security among the eight global challenges to address at scale, and has mobilised $45 billion in resources to tackle issues and protect livelihoods worldwide — surpassing its initial projected commitment of $30 billion announced in May 2022.

    Global recovery

    The global recovery from COVID-19 and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is slow, impacting economic stability. Elevated inflation, tighter monetary policies, reduced fiscal support, and extreme weather events contribute to continued pressure on global economic growth. As a result, the October 2023 Outlook tentatively suggests a global peak in the prevalence of severe food insecurity was reached at 11.9% globally in 2020-2022, with only a slight near-term improvement to 11.8% (2021-2023) and 11.6% (2022-2023), showing significant variation across regions and income groups. Short-term food insecurity improvements may however stall, posing a risk of reaching a new high of 943 million people facing severe food insecurity by 2025. Looking to 2028, the global severely food insecure population is projected to hit 956 million, narrowly avoiding a billion in a downside economic scenario if central banks fail to control inflation and respond with further tightening, leading to suppressed growth.

    While upper middle-income countries show promising improvements, lower middle-income nations experience only short-term gains, and low-income countries face a projected further increase in food insecure populations. The data exposes widening gaps compared to previous outlooks, with low-income countries expected to witness only a slight improvement in severe food insecurity rates by 2027-2029. Additionally, heavily indebted poor countries are particularly vulnerable, facing both economic challenges and elevated levels of food insecurity.

    As global food security conditions evolve, the financial requirements to establish safety nets are escalating. The WFSO projects an annual financing need of $41 billion in International Development Association (IDA) countries and $47 billion in International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) countries, nearly doubling pre-pandemic estimates. The shift toward lower-income countries intensifies, highlighting the urgency to reinforce measures safeguarding vulnerable populations. Projections indicate a continuous increase in safety net costs for low-income counties and lower middle-income countries, emphasising the need for effective monetary and fiscal policies to restore stability.

    To provide a basic social safety net that covers 25 percent of daily caloric needs for the acutely food insecure, the World Food Security Outlook (WFSO) estimates annual global financing needs at approximately $90 billion from now until 2030, based on projections up to 2027-2029. This assumes no significant changes beyond these projections. However, in scenarios of heightened inflation, lower economic growth, and high commodity prices, these needs could rise substantially, potentially reaching 1.3 times the current estimates. This would elevate the annual financial requirements to around $120 billion.

  • Over 26 million Nigerians risk food insecurity in 26 states, FCT

    Over 26 million Nigerians risk food insecurity in 26 states, FCT

    No fewer than 26.5 million Nigerians will be at risk of food insecurity in 26 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), between June and August 2024, the Cadre Hamonise (CH) analysis conducted by the Federal government in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture of the United Nations (FAO), Action Against hunger, FEWS Net and other partners  have said.

    The report noted that 18.6 million people including the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Borno, Sokoto, Zamfara, and other states including the FCT are expected to be in a crisis to worsen between now and next month.

    Key drivers, it said, are conflicts and insecurity which disrupted livelihoods and increased displacement from protracted insecurity and activities of non-state armed groups, banditry, and kidnappings in the northeast.

    Other key drivers are the removal of fuel subsidy, the Naira redesign, and floods which led to reduced harvest.

    Speaking during the presentation of the analysis, FAO country representative, Dominique Kouacou said the analysis was conducted in 26 states and the FCT to ascertain the food security situation and make projections for the future.

    Read Also: Food insecurity: Fed Govt to curb fruits, vegetable wastage

    Kouacou, who was represented by the Assistant FAO representative (Programme), Dr Abubakar Suleiman, said the current cycle is happening after an unusual lean season, during which the country witnessed several shocks, ranging from persistent insecurity situations like insurgency, banditry others include natural resource based conflicts, high cost of food and agricultural inputs due to high inflation and other economic factors and severe dry spells in some states immediately after the onset of rains.

    Also, the Permanent Secretary, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Ernest Umakhihe, also said that environmental and human factors such as climate change, displacements due to insecurity, and seasonal flooding regime had all remained recurrent concerns.

    Umakhihe, who was represented by the Director Special Duties, Mrs Fausat Lawal, noted that the disruptions had implications for food consumption patterns and the attendant high use of irreversible coping strategies among a sizable population of Nigeria.

    He said the results of the CH analysis were coming at a time when governments at all levels were leaving no stone unturned in reinvigorating the nation’s economy.

  • Food insecurity: Fed Govt to curb fruits, vegetable wastage

    Food insecurity: Fed Govt to curb fruits, vegetable wastage

    The Federal Government , through the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) is working towards curbing wastage of fruits and vegetables during season.

    The move is being made in collaboration with the Islamic Development Bank (ISDB) through the Bank’s Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP) on the development of Nigeria’s fruits and vegetables value chain.

    In line with that, TCP and ISDB nominated Pakistan as the provider Country with experts from the Institute of Food and Nutritional Sciences (IFNS), PMAS-Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, which has led to a diagnostic visitation and training in Nigeria as follow up to the study visit by Nigerian delegation led by RMRDC from 19th-25th June, 2022.

    Read Also: 23.4m people face acute food insecurity in Horn of Africa

    Director General (DG) RMRDC, Professor Hussain Doko said agriculture plays a vital role in our economy, and the fruits and vegetables sector holds immense potential for growth and prosperity.

    He said this yesterday in Abuja at the (RMRDC) in collaboration with the Institute of Food & Nutritional Sciences Arid Agric University Pakistan five days Training & Capacity Building on Fruits and Vegetable Processing.

    Doko added that there are several challenges that hinder its progress, and it is the government’s responsibility to address them collectively.

    He also said: “Firstly, we must focus on providing training to all the value chain actors to address the value chain development from production to table farm, by providing them with the necessary training and resources, they could be empowered to adopt sustainable farming methods, Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) resulting in higher yields and better quality products.