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Providing food aid has long been a primary activity of international donors, who often cite hunger as a root cause of poverty. There is no doubt that food insecurity contributes to many of the problems plaguing sub-Saharan countries, but a recent Oxfam report encourages viewing the crisis from another angle. The document espouses poverty, unfair global trade rules, conflict, HIV/AIDS, and climate change as the sources of Africa’s food crisis.
Despite the decades-long interest in food security, food emergencies in Africa are occurring three times more often today than they were in the 1980’s. “For people to be hungry in the 21st century is neither inevitable nor morally acceptable,” the Oxfam report said. An improvement in the distribution of aid is crucial if the undernourished people of Africa are to break the poverty cycle.
There are several ways that the United States can support more effective food aid policy. First, the practice of “dumping” surplus U.S. food on African markets must be discontinued as it is slow, expensive, and detrimental to local economies. By buying food locally, emergency aid can be delivered as soon as it is needed and more individuals can benefit. Other efforts involve promoting cash transfers, food vouchers, and cash-for-work programs; ensuring emergency aid is not diverted by corrupt elites or governments; and encouraging the improvement of agricultural productivity by local regimes.
Additionally, promoting peace and devoting more funding to HIV/AIDS programs are two very important means of tackling food insecurity. According to Oxfam, conflicts cause more than half of all food crises, and one-fifth of the African agricultural workforce will have died by 2020 from the AIDS epidemic. Rarely do U.S. food aid programs target these other factors, despite their severe impact on food security.
In short, the United States’ conception of aid must change if the people of Africa are to live free of hunger. The mechanisms by which support is delivered must adapt to the true needs of the situation and a clear investment must be made in these new ways of dealing with food crises. Unfortunately, it might take more than a new plan to make a dent in this aspect of poverty – U.S. policy must stop using aid as a means of boosting American companies and markets. Donors should never be beneficiaries of aid delivery. But the mentality shift necessary for such a drastic alteration of policy will be difficult to establish, so perhaps Oxfam’s suggestions are the place to begin – for now.
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