by Richard Nyamanhindi – SANF 08 No 66
Southern African leaders attending the 63rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly have called for increased investment in agriculture to ensure food security on the continent.
During the annual summit in New York held at the end of September, leaders from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) called for a review of existing treaties governing international trade to allow African farmers to compete effectively with those from the North.
Currently, food products in the North are much cheaper than those in Africa because of the huge subsidies that the governments in developed countries give to their farmers, the leaders said.
Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, who is African Union (AU) chairperson, called on the international community to support farmers in Africa and cushion them against the unfair competition from foreign products.
“It is going to be difficult to have food security, with the current trade imbalance between the West and Africa.
“The moment has arrived for an in-depth reform of the mechanism of cooperation for development starting with agriculture,” Kikwete said.
Mozambican President Armando Guebuza highlighted the importance of global cooperation to enhance agricultural productivity in developing countries by improving access to inputs and boosting investment in infrastructure to increase market access.
Guebuza said that the causes of the current global food shortages are many, and that countries must join forces to help poorer nations to make the leap forward from “their current subsistence farming into commercial agriculture.”
For his part, President Bingu Wa Mutharika of Malawi spoke about the detrimental impacts of severe climate change on food production, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, lamenting that little concrete international action has been taken on the issue.
“Agriculture and food production have been given low priority by international development institutions in their allocation of resources and investment funds. This has been compounded by low national budgetary allocations of food production in many countries on the African continent,” Mutharika said.
Namibian leader, Hifikepunye Pohamba, advocated for the replacement of financing measures that involved long and complicated procedures with investments based on direct assistance to beneficiaries that includes equipment and other agricultural inputs.
“In contrast to traditional financing, this innovative partnership offers an immediate and credible response to the food crisis, the rural exodus and the troubling phenomenon of illegal immigration,” Pohamba said.
He assailed the agricultural subsidies in rich countries, which “continue to poison international trade and seriously afflict the economy of developing countries, particularly in Africa.”
Pohamba said that contrary to common perception, Africa is not poor but a victim of inequitable practices, which impoverish the continent and contribute to its marginalisation.
He noted that by aiding the development of Africa, the developed countries could resolve their own crises.
The President of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe also called for investment of more resources in agriculture through research and assistance in irrigation technology.
“We call for more research into better seed varieties and assistance in irrigation technology and improved water harvesting methods, necessary to mitigate the effects of climate change on agriculture,” Mugabe said.
He also added that the challenges faced in the agricultural sector should be addressed in the context of other development programmes that recognise the pillars of economic and social thrusts as well as environmental protection.
The SADC leaders also called for massive investment in rural areas, greater control of water and a more efficient distribution of seeds and fertilisers, citing a decrease in recent years both in the volume and effectiveness of development aid.
The leaders noted that despite recent considerable improvements, the full and timely achievement of the global anti-poverty targets that make up the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) “remains elusive.”
While welcoming the commitments made by Africa and its partners so far, the leaders recommitted themselves to “reinvigorate and strengthen a global partnership that equals with the explicit objective of turning existing commitments into concrete actions.”
In doing so, they committed to strengthening support for the implementation of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), the continent’s overarching framework for sustainable socio-economic development.
The General Assembly occupies a central position in the conduct of international affairs and is the chief deliberative, policymaking and representative organ of the UN. Comprising 192 members, it provides a unique forum for multilateral discussion of the full spectrum of international issues covered by the UN Charter. It also plays a significant role in the process of standard setting and the codification of international law.
The General Assembly meets in regular session between September and December each year, and thereafter as required.
The sessions provide an opportunity for UN members to discuss international issues on an equal footing. Representatives from Member States expound on views and issues of common concern.
Other issues discussed at this year’s session included the democratisation of the UN, climate change and the problem of debt.
The theme of the general debate for this year was “The impact of the global food crisis on poverty and hunger in the world, as well as the need to democratise the United Nations.”
