From: wsargeant@igc.apc.org (Winslow L. Sargeant)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african
Subject: IPS:Ghana, FAO report criticised for ne'
Date: 27 Jul 92 14:20:32 GMT

/* Written 12:06 am  Jul 26, 1992 by newsdesk in cdp:ips.englibrary */
/* ---------- "GHANA: FAO REPORT CRITICISED FOR NE" ---------- */
Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Area: Asia, southern
Reference: Africa, west
Title: GHANA: FAO REPORT CRITICISED FOR NEGLECTING FARMERS


an inter press service feature

by ruby ofori

accra, july 23 (ips) -- namibia's deputy agriculture minister
says u.n food and agricultural organisation (fao) proposals to
boost africa's food production will not work because it is not
people centred.

''the most important thing when you're talking about
sustainalble agriculture is the people'', kaire mbuende told ips
on the third day of the fao regional conference for africa.

under the theme ''sound environment for sustainable
agriculture'', the five-day conference is looking at the fao's
1990-1991 rep0rt and the regional food and nutrition situation
with a view to boosting food production in the disaster prone
continent.

outlining some of africa's agricultural difficulties at
the opening of the conference monday, fao director general
eduardo saouma said: ''africa's progress is hampered by drought,
population explosion, civil disturbances and low prices for its
tropical commodities''.

according to the fao report titled ''sustainable agriculture
and development'', the african continent was beginning to head
towards food self sufficiency after a faltering recovery from
plummeting production levels in the 1970s and 80s, only to be
undermined once again by widespread drought.

the demands of a young and growing population, coupled with
outmoded and environmentally destructive farming techniques,
plus drought, had led to a one per cent drop in output in the
1970s and 2 per cent in the 80s.

by the 1990s production levels were no higher than they were
25 years ago, the report said. a growing deficit in domestic
food supplies led to a doubling of the volume of food imports
between 1970 and 1980.

in agriculturally dependent sub-saharan africa, per capita
food imports shot up by 50 per cent between 1970 and 1990.

at the same time the volume of agricultural exports in the
sub-saharan region fell by one third and have not yet recovered.

as well as exporting less the report says that by 1990
earnings from exports were 20 per cent less than they were a
decade before. (more/ips)


ghana: fao report (2)

''there is ample evidence'', concluded the report ''that
africa's food and agricultural sector has failed''.

the report also includes broad guidelines to national
governments to conserve land, avoid overgrazing and manage water
resources more efficiently.

but according to mbuende, what is important is the
''motivation of the people to harness their resources. that
doesn't figure in this report'', he said.

''as long as you don't talk about what and how the farmer
thinks, reports like this will not work,'' mbuende adds.

although mbuende did not object to the report's emphasis on
technical and market measures, he said a perspective which
focused on issues such as the reorientation of agricultural
extension officers, should have been included.

throughout the continent, these officers are usually trained
to teach farmers about the technical qualities of production,
but often they lacked knowledge of how to motivate them.

''the question of motivating farmers to produce more than for
their narrowly defined needs'' was critical, he said, adding:
''you have to go into the world of the farmer''.

mbuende also critisised the fao report for paying little
attention to an important sector of his drought-ridden nation's
economy, namely livestock.

namibia's agriculture sector constitutes only 12 per cent of
gnp most of which is derived from livestock rearing for export
to south africa.

the report, said mbuende, is ''useful in terms of crop
production'', but the fao had less expertise and experience of
livestock. (end/ips/ro/tvh/oa)


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