Saving Niger: Food Security

Gary Eilerts, Program Manager, USAID Office of Food for Peace in the Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance Bureau, discusses the how the record 2005 food prices in Nigeria siphoned Nigers production. Prices rose to record levels in Niger, which lead to the worst malnutrition in Nigers most productive agricultural areas on southern border. Small farmers there increasingly oriented to the market, especially Nigerias. Many have sold land, live on seasonal day-labor wages, buy their food in markets, and are dependent upon loans. Eilerts examines several points to save Niger from future food insecurity:

• Improve food utilization
• Improve food access
• Improve food availability

But Nigers next food crisis may not look like that of 2005. Eilerts states that sustained attention to development of economy, water sources, health care, education, etc., is required to keep another famine in Niger, like 2005, at bay.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• population
• resource
• center
• saving
• save
• niger
• burkina
• faso
• sub
• saharan
• africa
• world
• hunger
• crisis
• policy
• briefing

[Snigglesnock]

lol saving nigger

[steveandjenp]

Way to go Gary! Barka and I agree. It wasn't only crops moving, but lots of cattle and people too. Jen

[tomathon]

This is actually quite a cogent analysis. In short, he argues that the food shortage was caused by -- among other factors -- the "increasing orientation towards the market'', specifically Nigeria's market, which he places in size well above the entire Sahel combined, sucking resources out of Niger. Has little to nothing to do with population, contrary to the posters implication, and directly contrary to US neo-liberal policy.