The Washington Post reported on the effects of the global food crisis in Nigeria, where 38% of children under 5 years old are starving and 65% of its population is unsure of the source of their next meal. Nigeria has been unable to exploit its agricultural resources despite its wealth from having the largest oil reserves in Africa, as well as some of the most fertile land. With 3.14 million hectares of arable land, only 7% is currently being used. Nigeria is suffering from an “unreliable agricultural output,” says David Hecht of the Washington Post.
But Nigeria is not the only major African country that is suffering. Kenya, for example, is facing a decrease in food output this year caused by major drought in some regions. Additionally, stem rust, caused by a fungus thought to have been eradicated 50 years ago, has resurfaced and is plaguing Kenya’s most luscious wheat fields. Now, subsidized school-feeding programs are lacking resources, forcing children to abandon their education and return to help out their impoverished families. Meanwhile, drought has caused food shortages in southern Ethiopia as well as a scarcity of water in some regions. As a result, the severe hunger season that annually afflicts Ethiopia is expected to be longer this year, already impacting child mortality rates.
What is being done about the food crisis? At last month’s G8 summit, President Barack Obama pledged $3.5 billion to aid agricultural development and food security in Africa. However, it is not clear where this money is coming from, as Congress is still dealing with the other pressing issues such as the financial crisis and health care. Still, a pillar of this G8 agreement is its commitment to ending tied food aid, that is, the exporting of U.S. food to developing countries for aid instead of buying the food in surrounding areas. For more information on this aid agreement, you can read the Council on Foreign Relations’ interview with Laurie Garrett.
