News brief
- Pastoralists suffer in East Africa
- Asian water reform urgent to prevent severe food shortage
- Aid cut as WFP faces funding shortfall
- Food prices still high in many countries
- New biotech websites launched
- Kenya building biggest wind farm in Africa
- Indian land rights initiative helping millions
- Rising threat of El-Niņo
- Pacific islands under threat from climate change
- Innovation tackles nitrogen pollution
- Chinese technologies 'relevant' to small-scale African farmers
- Southern Sudan to get market information on-line
- Zambezi fish under threat
- Rabbit farming boosts income
- Bicycles help farmers grind grain and shell maize
- Tree cover significant on half of farmlands worldwide
Pastoralists suffer in East Africa
credit: Anthony Morland/IRIN
Regions in Kenya, Uganda, Somalia and Ethiopia are experiencing food shortages, soaring food prices and increasing rates of malnutrition. Prolonged droughts and failed rains have forced pastoralists in these regions to move further afield and more frequently in search of pasture and water, which is causing more conflict and spreading livestock diseases. In Somaliland, the FAO's Food Security and Nutritional Analysis Unit reported that an acute food crisis was emerging due to the failure of the Gu (long) rains and three previous seasons of poor rainfall. Pasture resources in areas that had adequate rainfall have also deteriorated due to livestock migration from neighbouring drought-stricken regions.
Severe and prolonged droughts are displacing pastoralist families across Kenya, Uganda and Sudan as rising livestock deaths are leaving many destitute. Critical malnutrition rates have been recorded in Turkana in Northern Kenya where rates have risen above the emergency threshold for under five year olds. The price of maize has also doubled in the last year, compounding the situation. In response, the Kenyan government has begun to truck water into drought-affected regions, while WFP has appealed for US$230 million to increase food distribution.
Asian water reform urgent to prevent severe food shortage
credit: Thomas Sennett/World Bank
Asia must improve the way it uses water for agriculture if it is to feed an extra 1.5 billion people by 2050, a new report has warned. Published jointly by FAO and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) during World Water Week, Revitalising Asia's irrigation predicts that demand for food and animal feed crops will double in the next 50 years. Without investment to improve productivity and cut water waste, Asian countries could have to import a quarter of the rice, wheat and maize they will need. "Relying on trade to meet a large part of this demand will impose a huge and politically untenable burden on the economies of many developing countries," said Colin Charters, director of IWMI. "The best bet for Asia lies in revitalizing its vast irrigation systems, which account for 70 per cent of the world's total irrigated land."
"Without water productivity gains, South Asia would need 57 per cent more water for irrigated agriculture and East Asia 70 per cent more," the report warns. But with improvements Asia could produce three-quarters of the additional food it will need. However, inefficient and poorly maintained irrigation systems have also seen millions of smallholder farmers investing in their own pumps to extract water. "Governments' inability to regulate this practice is giving rise to scary scenarios of ground-water over-exploitation, which could lead to regional food crises and widespread social unrest," warned Tushaar Shah, a co-author of the report. Yet "rather than condemn such a widespread practice, governments should actively support innovative initiatives."
Aid cut as WFP faces funding shortfall
credit: WFP/Marcus Prior
The World Food Programme was aiming to feed 108 million hungry people in 74 countries in 2009, but with a budget deficit of US$3 billion food aid is being cut. Josette Sheeran, WFP's Executive Director, has called this shortfall "dangerous and unprecedented." The UN agency was aiming to feed five million Bangladeshis affected by high food prices, but this has now been reduced to 1.4 million. In Guatemala a nutrition programme that is assisting approximately 100,000 children under five and 50,000 pregnant and lactating mothers could be suspended. And WFP will be cutting the amount of food that they are providing to 3.2 million Kenyans, who live in arid and semi-arid areas, despite the failure of the long rains. WFP flights, which carry aid workers to remote locations, are also likely to be grounded. The air service in Ivory Coast has already been cut, and Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea are also under threat.
Food prices still high in many countries
credit: WRENmedia
Food prices in many developing countries are still very high despite a drop in international food prices, a new FAO report warns. In some countries prices are higher than they were a year ago or are still at record levels, affecting millions of people. For example, the price for sorghum in June 2009 was three times higher in Sudan than it was two years ago, before the food price crisis. And in 27 sub-Saharan African countries 80 to 90 per cent of all cereal prices were over 25 per cent higher than two years ago.
"The high food price situation continues to give rise to concern for the food security of vulnerable populations in both urban and rural areas, as these groups spend a large share of their incomes on food," the Crop prospects and food situation states. Due to natural disasters, conflict or insecurity, 30 countries are in crisis and are in need of assistance, the report cautions. These include Argentina, Iraq, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan and Nepal. Reduced harvests, civil conflict, regional trade flows, devaluation of national currencies, transport constraints and changes in food and trade policies were just some of the reasons for these high prices.
New biotech websites launched
Crop Life International and Africa Harvest Biotech Foundation International have launched two new biotech websites: Biotech Kenya and Biotech Uganda. The aim, according to the websites, is to create public awareness about the principles and potentials of biotechnology, focusing on its practical applications. Resources include frequently asked questions and information on Ugandan and Kenyan biotechnology legislation, as well as links to other sources of useful information.
Kenya building biggest wind farm in Africa
credit: LTWP
A wind farm consisting of 365 giant wind turbines is going to be installed in Northwest Kenya near Lake Turkana. Backed by the African Development Bank and the Kenyan government, this US$870 million project will potentially supply 300MW when completed in 2012, which amounts to 30 per cent of Kenya's current energy needs. A 99 year lease has been granted to the Lake Turkana Wind Power (LTWP) consortium for 150,000 acres on the edge of the Lake.
Although the wind farm in Turkana will be the biggest, it is not Kenya's first. On the Ngong Hills, outside Nairobi, six wind turbines have already been erected, with another 12 planned. And with demand for electricity increasing by about eight per cent a year, 14 other sites are currently being tested for their suitability by the state power company KenGen. The Guardian newspaper reports that with nearly three-quarters of KenGen's capacity already coming from hydropower and another 11 per cent from geothermal plants, Kenya's electricity is already very green by global standards.
Indian land rights initiative helping millions
credit: Ray Witlin/World Bank
The Rural Development Institute (RDI) has recently expanded its presence in India as part of a growing initiative to provide secure land rights to the landless rural poor, especially women. In partnership with Indian state governments, RDI is helping to implement "micro-land ownership" and recommending that women are given equal or independent rights to this land. Indira Kranti Patham (IKP) is one project in Andhra Pradesh that has already helped thousands of landless women buy small plots of land and provided legal aid to more than 70,000 families, who have claims to public land. According to RDI, just one-tenth of an acre is adequate for a family to cultivate, raise livestock and start a micro-enterprise. By supplementing existing sources of food and income, families are able to become more economically secure.
Rising threat of El-Niņo
credit: FAO/I.Velez
Rising temperatures across the Pacific Ocean suggest that an El-Niño event is developing, which could disrupt the rains and impact food security, the World Meteorological Organization has warned. Rising surface temperatures in the Pacific affect the jet stream causing floods in South America and droughts in Australia, Southeast Asia and southern Africa. The monsoon rains were late in India and have been about 30 per cent below normal, causing food shortages and delays in the sowing of rice, wheat and rapeseed. Sixty per cent of farmers are dependent on the rains and almost half of India's districts are suffering from the drought, causing food prices to rise by ten per cent. In response, the government has banned wheat exports.
Pacific islands under threat from climate change
credit: Jocelyn Carlin/Panos
Climate change could create 75 million environmental refugees in the Asia-Pacific region by 2050, according to a new report by Oxfam Australia and New Zealand. The future is here - Climate change in the Pacific details how rising sea levels and the impact of climate change on food, water and livelihoods could displace "significant numbers" of the Pacific islands' eight million inhabitants. "For countries like Kiribati, Tuvalu, Tokelau, the Marshall Islands, Fiji, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and the Federated States of Micronesia, climate change is not something that could happen in the future, but something they are experiencing now," the study warns.
Pacific Islanders are already facing more frequent flooding and storm surges, coral bleaching, droughts, the loss of land, more cases of malaria and increasing food and water shortages. But communities are adapting to climate change by planting mangroves to reduce coastal erosion, building rainwater tanks to maximise freshwater supplies and testing salt-resistant varieties of staple foods. The Oxfam report argues that wealthy countries must act urgently to reduce their emissions and help Pacific communities "climate proof" their villages.
Innovation tackles nitrogen pollution
credit: EKTN
A new technology which removes nitrates from ground water has been developed by researchers in Europe to prevent nitrogen pollution from chemical fertilisers and animal slurries. Known as NITRABAR, the system consists of a trench filled with natural waste materials such as wood chippings, leaf compost and limestone, that is placed between a field and a body of water. As water passes through this 'permeable reactive barrier' nitrates are converted into nitrogen by micro-organisms before entering rivers or lakes.
Chemical fertilisers have enabled agricultural production to be increased but they are also highly soluble and pass easily into surface and ground water. This can result in algae blooms which deplete the amount of oxygen in the water, in some cases killing fish. The NITRABAR system is currently being tested at a demonstration site in Northern Ireland, but according to Dr Bruce Howard, NITRABAR Project Manager, this method can be applied in a variety of agricultural settings worldwide. "The value of NITRABAR lies in its simplicity and the ability to adapt it to local circumstances wherever levels of nitrate in shallow ground water are of concern." So far results have shown the potential to remove over 90 per cent of the nitrate passing through the system.
Chinese technologies 'relevant' to small-scale African farmers
credit: IRRI
Africa can learn lessons from Chinese agricultural developments in order to increase the productivity of small-scale farms, according to a new report commissioned by the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF). The authors believe that soil and water related technologies could be particularly applicable in Africa. These include water saving techniques, such as drip irrigation, and water storage, mulching to enhance soils, terracing, conservation farming, deep ploughing and green manure planting. Chinese aquaculture techniques and technological innovations also have the potential to be relevant in Africa. But while "few African governments prioritise agriculture in their policies, spending or attention," the authors argue that using these technologies without the necessary agricultural policies, infrastructure or credit will be the challenge for Africa.
Southern Sudan to get market information on-line
credit: FAO/Jose Cendon
Farmers and traders in southern Sudan will soon be able to access an on-line Crop and Livestock Market Information System (CLiMIS). The service, which will also be accessible using mobile phones, will enable market information on selected crops and livestock to be generated, stored, analysed and disseminated. According to the project leader, Dr Victor Manyong from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), market information, especially on commodity prices, enables farmers, traders, development workers, policy makers and local governments to make fully informed decisions. "Farmers are able to negotiate better prices for their products through access to reliable market information," Manyong explains. CLiMIS will be provided by IITA who will work with the UN's Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and relevant government bodies to design and implement the system.
Zambezi fish under threat
credit: FAO/R.Subasinghe
A disease which is devastating fish stocks in the Zambezi River Valley could affect the food security and livelihoods of millions of people, FAO has warned. About 32 million people live in the Zambezi River Basin and 80 per cent are dependent on agriculture or fishing. The UN agency has said that over 2,000 villages and 700,000 people are currently at risk of food insecurity in Zambia because fish is such an important source of income and food. The disease known as Epizootic Ulcerative Syndrome (EUS) causes lesions and tissue decay in affected fish, making them un-tradable. If not properly contained, the disease could spread further along the Zambezi.
Rabbit farming boosts income
credit: Plan International
In Vietnam's Northern Province, Phu Tho, Plan International has been supplying poor farmers with rabbits to increase their income. The rabbits are cost effective to feed, grow quickly and breed very fast, enabling farmers and their families to have a much faster financial return than they get with other livestock. Each household was given five rabbits of each sex, money for cages, vaccinations, and training for all family members on the best ways to feed and care for the animals. So far, each of the 40 households taking part has earned approximately two million Vietnam Dong (US$110) - a significant amount in a country where about a fifth of people live on less than US$2 a day. In time they will be able to make much more, as the rabbits breed and are sold for their meat. "Most importantly this is a sustainable solution, which increases families' income whilst empowering them through increasing their skills and knowledge," Marie Staunton, Plan UK chief executive explains.
Bicycles help farmers grind grain and shell maize
credit: Global Cycle Solutions
Two bicycle-powered devices that shell maize and grind grain have been developed by Global Cycle Solutions (GCS) to save farmers' time and effort. Both can be attached to any bicycle using an adaptor, called the 'Rahisisha', which allows the cyclist to mechanically power the devices without modifying the bicycle. "The platform creates a moving business," explains Lisa Tacoronte from GCS. "You ride to your customer, flip down the bicycle stand, attach the maize sheller or grinder, and begin pedalling."
Results from a pilot project in Arusha, Tanzania, have suggested that it is possible to recoup the cost of a device in less than two weeks. In addition to demonstrating their product at the Tanzanian Agricultural Fair, GCS has begun to distribute samples to local bicycle dealers. "We are now exploring partnerships and local manufacturing options, while running long-term field tests in nearby villages," Tacoronte says. More products are currently under development, including a device that will allow people to charge their mobile phone on the move.
Tree cover significant on half of farmlands worldwide
credit: World Agroforestry Centre
Using satellite imagery, scientists from the World Agroforestry Centre have shown that tree cover exceeds ten per cent on more than one billion hectares of farmland across the world. "The area revealed in this study is twice the size of the Amazon, and shows that farmers are protecting and planting trees spontaneously," says Dennis Garrity, Director General at the World Agroforestry Centre. "Trees are providing farmers with everything from carbon sequestration, to nuts and fruits, to windbreaks and erosion control, to fuel for heating and timber for housing."
The report, Trees on farm, acknowledges that there are cases where forests are cleared for agriculture, but notes that tree cover often returns as farmers plant useful trees in order to enhance production. "This study offers convincing evidence that farms and forests are in no way mutually exclusive, but that trees are in fact critical to agricultural production everywhere," said Professor Wangari Maathai, winner of the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize for work that included planting more than 30 million trees across Africa.
September 2009
