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This is an archived USAID document retained on this web site as a matter of public record.
In response to the existing and impending crises in the Greater Horn of Africa, President Clinton has called for a renewed commitment to these countries. It is in the interest of the international community to prevent further human suffering and political deterioration, and to work together to create an environment where future investments will result in sustainable development. This initiative represents a collaborative effort among African states, non-governmental organizations, concerned citizens, Inter-governmental Authority on Drought and Development (IGADD) and the international donor community to address the root causes of food insecurity in the Horn. This paper is forwarded not as a final product, but as a spark for a much needed dialogue among the mutual "owners" of this initiative. Only with the collective insight, creativity, and vision of these concerned parties can we respond effectively to these grave challenges.
To achieve the goal of food security requires changes in thought and action both in Africa and beyond. The way in which countries in the region relate to each other must change. The way donors approach country programs and assistance must be improved. The abilities of Africans to guide sustainable development efforts must be strengthened. Voices of peace and moderation, which all too often in the past have been cruelly ignored, must be heard. We must begin to look at the problem as a whole and not just the sum of its parts.
In 1989, an estimated 46 percent of the region's population, some 71 million people, were chronically food insecure. This percentage is greater than that of the overall figure for sub-Saharan Africa. This year an estimated 22 million people in the region required external food aid assistance. Nearly 11 million of these were refugees and internally displaced people, with another 11 million in danger of being severely drought-affected. Per capita food production declined in the region by more than 16 percent during 1980 to 1993 period. As a result, domestic food production per capita has declined and food import bills have placed increasing strains on trade balances. Donor food aid assistance has also increased. Regional per capita calorie availability (1,950 Kcal per capita per day) is less than the international minimum standard for survival of 2,100 calories, and much less than the standard for an adequate diet of 2,400 calories a day.
Solutions to these daunting problems must be grounded in an understanding of their root causes. It can be argued that the unstable social and political environments that have stunted economic growth in the region lie at the heart of inadequate food production and the low capacity to import foodstuffs. A number of factors have converged to create this instability: Poor economic policies have limited possibilities for intensification of agriculture and economic growth; growing population pressures and a lack of development of human resources have further stressed the natural resource base; civil strife and the absence of good governance structures have hindered equitable economic and social development; and the natural resource base of the region, although highly uneven, is limited in high production potential endowments. While these are some of the most immediately apparent factors that have eroded food security in the region, we hope that subsequent discussions will further our understanding of the region's problems.
An initial analysis of food insecurity in the region suggests the following framework as one way to address this humanitarian crisis. Again, this framework is a work in progress, one that will ultimately be strengthened by the critiques and insights of all those who help shape and implement it.
The central goal of this framework is for the people of the Greater Horn region to achieve lasting food security. To achieve this goal there needs to be an institutionalized process of joint problem-solving to attack root causes of food insecurity.
The following suggested objectives outline a program of action for where this effort might begin:
We propose six steps to initiate a discussion on a recommitment to the Greater Horn region: First, regional institutions could be strengthened to perform stronger coordination roles for regional food security. We propose IGADD as an important regional institution. Second, options for a donors forum could be explored. Third, regional and national early warning systems could be expanded to cover the region, and to include political, security and social factors. Fourth, an international team might be asked to detail the principles that could guide the "relief-to-development continuum" approach. Fifth, joint analysis by donors and Africans could be undertaken to analyze strategies and priorities for agricultural and economic growth. And, sixth, joint donor/recipient portfolio reviews could be conducted to ensure that efforts contribute to a food security objective and that gaps in assistance are identified.
Open discussion, comments and alternatives, and ultimately decisions on the proposed concepts and framework are seriously solicited. The magnitude of human suffering and the hope for a better future demand urgent attention by the international community.
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