{"id":76749,"date":"2016-08-22T06:47:48","date_gmt":"2016-08-22T04:47:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/investing-in-science-can-help-put-food-on-africas-plates-the-conversation\/"},"modified":"2016-08-22T06:47:48","modified_gmt":"2016-08-22T04:47:48","slug":"investing-in-science-can-help-put-food-on-africas-plates-the-conversation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/investing-in-science-can-help-put-food-on-africas-plates-the-conversation\/","title":{"rendered":"Investing in science can help put food on Africa’s plates | The Conversation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Investing in science can help put food on Africa’s plates<\/a>: <\/p>\n

Climate change and the current El Ni\u00f1o have left Africans more vulnerable than ever to hunger.<\/span> Philimon Bulawayo\/Reuters<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Food shortages, hunger, starvation and long-term food security are not new issues in Africa, nor elsewhere in the developing world. Food security means that all people, at all times, have both physical and economic access to enough food for an active, healthy life.<\/p>\n

The most recent figures suggest that food security is far from a reality in Africa. 23% of the continent\u2019s population \u2013 some 233 million people, most of them young \u2013 face dire hunger every day. This number also represents more than a quarter of the global figure for people who live with hunger bordering on starvation.<\/p>\n

The geographical distribution of the crisis in sub-Saharan Africa is uneven. Countries whose environmental conditions are least suitable for agriculture are severely at risk. So are those that have been subjected to prolonged periods of warfare or internal social conflict and poor governance. In more recent years, the broad impacts of global climate change and the prolonged effect of the current El Ni\u00f1o phenomenon have intensified the problem.<\/p>\n

Ethiopia, South Sudan, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Angola and Mozambique are all at risk. South Africa will, in 2016, possibly cull some 800 000 head of cattle and import at least 300 000 tonnes of maize. As a result, this \u201cold\u201d topic has become increasingly important in current research and development.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s clear that economic growth is necessary to make progress in reducing poverty and hunger. But scientists have pointed out that economic growth alone won\u2019t end hunger. Good policies and programmes are needed too. Scientists and researchers have a role to play in these initiatives. After all, substantial and reliable scientific knowledge is needed to implement any successful programmes.<\/p>\n

Africa\u2019s particular challenges<\/h2>\n

This understanding of science\u2019s value in food security debates prompted South Africa\u2019s National Science and Technology Forum to host a \u201cDiscussion Forum on Pulses and Food Security\u201d in June 2016.<\/p>\n

The meeting\u2019s preliminary findings make a critical point: food is a necessity, but it\u2019s also a product.<\/p>\n

In other words, it must generate a profit for the points in the food chain \u2013 farmers\/growers, transporters, processors, storers and sellers. It\u2019s the profit at these points in the chain that keeps the chain working and moving.<\/p>\n

Farmers may decide not to put low value crops into the chain because this lowers profits. That leads to waste at the point of source. This situation may also mean that if supply and demand aren\u2019t in kilter or prices are too high, people won\u2019t buy particular food products. So there\u2019s waste again, or what appears to be a surplus. There\u2019s more food than can be purchased or can be afforded. Overcoming this requires market adjustments all along the supply chain.<\/p>\n

This is not a uniquely African challenge. It\u2019s a global problem. The world produces more food than paying consumers really need, resulting in substantial waste. Meanwhile hunger and starvation remain endemic, primarily in the world\u2019s developing regions.<\/p>\n

Research undertaken by the Food and Agricultural Organisation and private sector companies in the agricultural sector shows that there are five critical challenges to food security in sub-Saharan Africa. These are:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. \n

    Critical inputs \u2013 farmers at all scales of production need high-yielding seeds, effective fertiliser and sufficient water to produce a successful crop. This doesn\u2019t always happen, and there are also problems with coordination between farmers and markets.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  2. \n

    Access to financing \u2013 for smallholders especially credit is often inaccessible or unaffordable. This also leaves farmers much more vulnerable to market volatility and unpredictable weather.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  3. \n

    Property rights \u2013 in many parts of Africa, farmers are unable to own their land and pledge it as collateral. This limits their incentive to reinvest in their businesses.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  4. \n

    Infrastructure for market access \u2013 farmers generally can earn higher prices outside of harvest season. Yet few African smallholders have access to proper storage to take advantage of price fluctuations. Many also live in isolated, rural areas where a lack of paved roads, reliable energy, warehouses and cold storage put food security at risk and increase post-harvest loss.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  5. \n

    Off-farm income \u2013 this is critically important to agricultural development. The first migrants from farms to cities often send money back to their relatives. Those remittances can fund better farm inputs \u2013 seed, fertiliser and machinery, for example. In addition, farmers and farm outputs benefit if urban workers have incomes sufficient to purchase food at prices that encourage farmers to produce more.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    How can these challenges be managed?<\/p>\n

    Science is the key<\/h2>\n

    The National Science and Technology Forum meeting produced four recommendations:<\/p>\n