The crisis facing Africa's farmers and livestock keepers

Africa is the only region in the world where poverty is on the increase. Between 2000 and 2002 the number of undernourished Africans increased by two million.

80% of Africa's population live in rural areas, the majority of whom depend on food production through farming and livestock keeping. Yet aid to agriculture has declined and with it agricultural productivity. The majority of small farmers and pastoralists are increasingly lacking access to land, resources and markets, plunging them into a fragile existence of poverty and hunger.

Deprived and remote areas of Africa, seen as having ‘low potential’ consistently fall off the radar of international aid, until it's too late. As a consequence thousands of rural communities are living on the edge of existence, increasingly dependent on food aid and facing uncertain futures.

Worsening climatic conditions and the devastating impacts of HIV/AIDs are causing further food insecurity and famine.

Why African Voices

People living on the edge in remote rural areas want access to policy-makers. Grassroots organisations and farmers' movements are active in local advocacy, but rarely have the chance to influence the priorities and distribution of international aid.

From 2004-2007 African Voices in Europe enabled the views and priorities of African farmers, pastoralists, civil society and Members of Parliament, from some of the most drought-prone areas of Africa to be heard by European policy makers and the wider European public.

"Donor aid is either focused on developing commercial agriculture or attending food emergencies, leaving a vast gap in assistance to subsistence farmers and pastoralists, especially in remote and deprived districts." (Linda McAven MEP and Fiona Hall MEP)

These encounters are documented throughout the site in videos, photo stories, blogs and research publications. In the coming months we will be inviting you to respond to contributions from African farmers, MPs and civil society representatives.

Why African Voices in Europe

The European Commission (EC) is the 5th biggest aid donor in the world. It also plays an important role influencing how aid is spent directly by European Union member states - which together provide over half of all global aid.

African agriculture is in crisis, yet European aid to agriculture has declined. To date, EC aid to Africa has allocated only 7.5% of resources to food security and rural development, against 35% for transport and 28% to macro-economic support.

The EC's aid programme has the opportunity to transform the lives of millions of marginalized small-scale farmers and pastoralists throughout Africa. Instead it is leaving millions of people below the poverty line and on the edge of survival.

"The pastoralists [we had meetings with] were living on the edge; most were surviving off one meal a day. Are we going to wait until people are dying and need emergency relief before we start focusing efforts to support them?" (Linda McAven, MEP)

Whilst every context is unique, in Kenya and Zambia it is clear that EC aid for agriculture and rural development from 2000-2006 had no significant impact on poverty. Instead the following common features consistently arise:

• Increased hunger and poverty
• Increased marginalisation of small-scale farmers and livestock keepers
• Increased need for costly emergency humanitarian interventions

More appropriate and better targeted support could begin to address their long-term needs.

Improving EC aid effectiveness

Research and dialogue throughout the project have thrown up number of opportunities for improving EC aid effectiveness.

African Voices in Europe is an urgent call for a new agenda to improve EC aid to Africa:

• Aid based on genuine and meaningful consultation with communities
• Aid that targets deprived and remote areas first and foremost
• Aid that benefits not undermines the poorest farmers
• Aid that supports long-term food security and disaster preparedness, through providing access to land, credit, water, advice, infrastructure, appropriate technologies, markets, and other essential inputs
• Aid that reaches marginal farmers and pastoralists before they reach emergency status

This site presents African Voices in Europe's agenda for targeting Less Favoured Areas, offering opportunities for realizing such an agenda legitimately and effectively with all stakeholders on board.

This site is designed to provide a crucial resource to anyone wanting to know more about the crisis facing millions of small-scale farmers and livestock keepers across Africa and how EC aid could be better targeted to meet the needs of those who need it most.

• Read the reports
• Listen to African Voices on video
• Read African Voices photostories
• Understand EC Aid to Africa

For more information contact: Dr Stuart Coupe - stuart.coupe@practicalaction.org.uk

Dr Stuart Coupe, Practical Action, The Schumacher Centre, Bourton-on-Dunsmore, Rugby, UK, CV23 9BR

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