Think-tank urges bigger govt agriculture spending

An international food policy think-tank on Thursday urged African governments to spend more on agricultural development, saying that food security across the continent would only be realised when national budgets reflected food production as a priority. "There are some positive signs among senior policymakers, but at the moment there seems to be more articulation [of the need to prioritise agricultural development in Africa] than the actual allocation of funds to support this commitment," director-general Joachim von Braun of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) told IRIN. The Washington-based institute has pledged technical support to the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD). Under the agreement, IFPRI is expected to bolster NEPAD's research into developing Africa's agricultural potential to improve food security. "Over the next three years the IFPRI will provide the technical backstopping to NEPAD. Through our field of expertise we will provide the necessary research and analysis, so that the agricultural strategies suggested by the leaders of NEPAD can be fully realised," IFPRI senior researcher Suresh Babu said. In 2002 food shortages threatened some 14 million people across Southern Africa, in a crisis triggered mainly by drought. The IFPRI noted that the situation was made more severe by rising poverty, HIV/AIDS, and controversial market reforms. "Over the last 15 years there has been increased privatisation and governments have made some economic reforms in the right direction. However, these reforms are incomplete and more often did not bring the small farmer into the equation. Although the weather had a key role to play in last year's crisis, it is necessary to talk about governance problems in the region, which are excessive in some countries," von Braun added. The IFPRI advocated for greater support for smallholder agriculture, arguing that small-scale farmers had proved to be at least as efficient as large farms when they received similar support services and inputs like seeds, fertiliser and credit. Research had shown that for every one percent increase in agricultural productivity, poverty was reduced by 0.6 percent. The institute also noted the harm that trade-distorting agricultural policies of the developed nations caused to the economies of poor countries. IFPRI research indicates that for sub-Saharan Africa alone, liberalisation of agricultural policies in industrialised countries would add US $3 billion annually in agricultural income. But while microcredit schemes were essential, the institute noted that increased access to banking and financial services was critical to small farmers. "A smallholder-led growth strategy could lead to huge cuts in Africa's rural poverty within two decades," said Babu. Among its recommendations, the IFPRI suggested it was critical that private capital be attracted to the agricultural sector, and that governments create an environment in which the private sector could operate more efficiently.