The Crisis in African Agriculture
A more effective role of EC Aid?
download the full report (PDF, 513k)
Development assistance has increasingly focused on market-led growth and export-oriented agriculture. In Africa this means that millions of small-scale farmers and pastoralists are being bypassed by international aid. Farming communities in remote areas continue to lack infrastructure and access to basic services. And as climatic conditions worsen and HIV/AIDS continues to take its toll, farmers and livestock keeping communities throughout Africa are facing uncertain futures.
Poverty and hunger are on the increase in Africa, yet aid to agriculture has declined.
Using the examples of Kenya and Zambia, this report shows that the substantial EC aid programme is only marginally impacting upon African smallholder farmers, whose households constitute the majority of the poor in the continent.
If the EC is serious in its commitment to the Millennium Development Goals to reduce poverty in Africa it must increase not reduce its commitment to resource-poor farmers and food security. The EC must also take seriously its obligations under the Cotounou Agreement to ensure full participation of all actors in the planning stage of EC-ACP aid policies.
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download the full report The crisis in African agriculture: a more effective role for EC aid? (PDF, 513k) Read the report to find out more about:
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Since 1985, more than 7 million farmers and agricultural workers have died from AIDS in the 25 countries most affected by the epidemic. |
Country Support Strategies formulated to date by African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries allocate only 7.5% of resources to food security and rural development, against 35% for transport and 28% to macro-economic support. |
