Thoughts
We know that almost two hundred million people in sub-Saharan Africa are malnourished. Poverty shows its face to us in many different forms and ways. We see it, of course, in the disasters of famine. We see it also in wars and conflicts because we know from history that shortage of food is a major reason we have many wars. It is difficult to expect good governance and democracy when there isn't enough food for everyone. We see it in the hunger and malnutrition that result in people often getting sick. We see it the destruction of the environment because poor farmers might not understand very well the long-term effects of over-cultivating fragile lands or cutting down indigenous forests when have so few options to earn a livelihood. Lastly, we see poverty very dramatically in the faces of HIV/AIDS orphans and others weakened by HIV/AIDS who struggle to grow sufficient food for their families.
We feel that more food and income is the critical foundation needed in order to achieve so much more that needs to get done in Africa. We certainly strongly feel that we have to work very hard at HIV/AIDS, other pressing issues, environmental issues, governance and other matters that press upon Africa. But to have sustained success, more income and agricultural production is critical. Two-thirds of the people in Africa live in rural areas. And some excellent studies over the years make clear that more agricultural production increases farm and off-farm income not only for the farmer, but also for the community. Yet, in the last fifteen years or so, U.S. assistance to agriculture has declined! Overall, all bilateral donors have reduced their percentage of allocations to agriculture by about fifty percent over that period. We must sustain our work in HIV/AIDS, Child Survival and other critical work , but we also need a substantial increase of effort going into agriculture, food production, rural income programs for Africa This generation's development challenge is Africa. Therefore, the time is right for a new enhanced effort in Africa. As Lee Hamilton said at a Partnership Conference in June 2001, "If not now, when?" |
