Future Agriculture and food system in Africa in a post-Covid-19 context

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In a column that we are publishing, Mamadou Goïta, Socio-economist of development, Director IRPAD / Africa and member of IPES-Food wonders about the measures that States should take in the short and medium terms to alleviate the coronavirus crisis in the agro-food sector in Africa.

Publicity

This column - as well as other points of view of experts, thinkers, artists or sportsmen - is published as part of special days “  After the Covid-19, a new world?  », On May 8, 9 and 10, on the radio and digital antennas of RFI.

What is the current situation ?

The current pandemic of the Covid-19 virus in Africa, although it seems less virulent compared to other continents (fewer positive cases and deaths) has led to disruptions in food production and supply, storage, processing, distribution, access to territorial markets1 for products and supply chains for agricultural inputs in a large number of countries. 

Since the appearance of the first cases, the various African countries have taken measures similar to those taken in other continents, namely among other things the confinement of the country or cities, the closing of markets and other public places, covers it -fires in the evenings, the triggering of a state of health emergency, declarations of announcements of support for the various development sectors in addition to health measures. 

The significant impacts of this pandemic in Africa (fall in income, loss of harvests of off-season products2, indebtedness, disruptions to the food system, to the supply system for production inputs, etc.) directly concern all forms of Agriculture3 but particularly family farming which is the dominant form on the continent. These impacts particularly affect, depending on the country, between 60 and 85% of the population dependent on Agriculture, of which more than 90% in the Sahel, for example, are small farmers with around 30% of daily workers, including family members. migrating to urban areas or other countries. 

According to discussions with producers4, for example, the labor market between the north of Benin, Nigeria, Ghana, Burkina Faso and Côte d'Ivoire was severely disrupted. This situation is affecting the production areas of Côte d'Ivoire, Nigeria and Ghana as well as the income of women and young workers in Burkina Faso, Benin and Togo.

In most cities in West and East Africa, food prices have risen rapidly, mainly due to a feeling of noted scarcity. Production-based livelihoods have been seriously disrupted.

Shortages in the supply of agricultural inputs (fertilizers, pesticides, seeds, etc.) and the resulting inability for producers to prepare for the next agricultural season are constraints everywhere, especially for East Africa, which has experienced invasions of locusts during the past campaign. 

What to do in the short and long term?

Two types of solutions are to be implemented: cyclical solutions (short term) and structural solutions for the long term.

For the short term, there is an urgent need for a large part of the population to access food with the depletion of family stocks. States must invest in different tools of social safety nets for equitable access to food. In the same line, the preparation of the new agricultural campaign which begins soon remains an emergency in particular the access to the factors of production (inputs, seeds…) whose availability is likely to be difficult this year.

For the long term, it will be, among other things, for African states to (i) change the strategic orientations by investing more in food systems rather than in production systems only to minimize dependence on the outside. Such an approach makes it possible to promote agro-ecological alternatives to the detriment of the industrial agriculture model of green revolution promoted by multinationals; (ii) develop and / or implement Agricultural policies based on food sovereignty that prioritize productive and sustainable family farming; (iii) establish food sovereignty stocks with local, / national and / or regional production as a priority source; (iv) ensure a better organization of territorial markets which are opportunities to have better (remunerative) incomes for producers; (v) promote social security for producers and set up disaster funds, agricultural insurance funds as part of social protection; (vi) set up transformation / promotion funds for local products; (vii) promote participatory research programs for research sovereignty; (viii) ensure the training and installation of young rural people as a priority for the next generation in family farms; (ix) settle land or agrarian questions by implementing progressive policies; (x) promote national and regional agro-food industries to contribute to the industrialization of the continent.

The implementation of these long-term measures will make it possible to change the economic trajectory of the guard part of the African states which are full of significant reserves of resources.

1- Localized local markets more favorable to producers.
2- 60% of the income comes from off-season production (fresh fruit and vegetables and non-agricultural activities).
3- Plant production, animal husbandry / pastoralism, fishing and forestry.
4- Note author interviews with African farmers, April 2020.

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