CLIMATE CHANGE
Jamal Saghir, World Bank Director for Sustainable Development in the Africa cites success stories such as in Rwanda, where potato farmers were able to increase their harvests by more than 50 per cent by improving rainfall management.
Saghir said that Durban is a crucial moment for agriculture to enter the global climate change dialogue. ‘A few years ago, the focus on deforestation and degradation was unthinkable; today it is central to the discussions about climate change,’ Saghir said. ‘We believe the time is opportune to recognise the potential of climatesmart agriculture to tackle climate change.’
However, some believe that the World Bank support for CSA, far from signaling a wholesale endorsement of small-scale farming practises, is merely a token project. The World Bank, as well as other international development institutions such as the IMF, are known for providing loans and financial assistance to developing nations for large-scale agricultural projects and for encouraging development through the export of cash crops, all of which rely on fossil-fuel intensive farming methods.
‘If it is a complete change of tune and not being treated as a niche pet project it is absolutely welcome because the future of farming lies in ecological farming,’ says Greenpeace’s Langhoff. ‘But with the World Bank, and lots of international finance institutions and development agencies, the majority of investment is actually going into the traditional, industrial, technological fixes and then you have nice window dressings or shop windows for the beautiful, sweet, small projects. What we need is not more window dressings.’
Pettersson says that regardless of whether the support from the World Bank is long-term or not, she views their endorsement as a positive step.‘Agriculture is the mainstay of the African economy and we cannot sacrifice support because of reputational risks of the World Bank,’ the minister said. ‘We’re always saying
“Why doesn’t the World Bank come to party? Why doesn’t the World Bank assist us?” And now they’re coming to the party for small holder farmers and now we’re questioning them.’
Director Saghir of the World Bank told the Ecologist that the World Bank endorsement of CSA does not mean that the institution does not support agricultural exports or other forms of technology that could also improve agricultural yields. ‘The World Bank supports agriculture as an instrument for development, and this entails improved food security at the household level, higher incomes for African farmers ... and agricultural exports where good opportunities exist,’ Saghir said. ‘Mulching, composting, and rotational grazing are appropriate in many places, and so are investments in irrigation, water harvesting and storage … and a host of innovations and investments.’
Sibanda of FANRPAN echoed Minister Pettersson’s acceptance of the World Bank and said she hopes it will help broaden the reach of CSA. ‘I believe anything that puts food first is good for everybody. So I think it is a good thing and we’re excited that the World Bank has embraced the CSA initiative and we are hoping that it becomes not just an Africa appeal but a global appeal.’
Getting to farmers on the ground
Changing the international dialogue from industrialised farming to smallscale, agroecological methods is a big step, but getting the information to farmers on the ground remains an largely unmet challenge. Minister Pettersson spoke about the difficulty of getting farmers who are struggling to meet their basic needs to think about the need to face climate change in their farming practises, but she also characterised it as an opportunity.
‘If people are eking out a measly existence, for them, the emphasis and the most important point would be to put a plate of food on the table,’ Pettersson said. ‘If you have that kind of reality in developing countries, then climate change is not going to come a real priority. So we need to make it part of people’s environment. Once farmers get an understanding that climate smart practices will not work against their profit margins but will actually supplement their profits and productivity, well see a better buy-in from farmers.’
However, the problems faced by African farmers, Langhoff said, is not just limited to methods of cultivation, but also structural issues such as infrastructure and land conversion. ‘If you’re a farmer in central Africa and you actually don’t have a problem with producing a surplus, your problem is you can’t sell it because by the time the surplus reaches the market after days on a boat or over land, it’s rotten,’ Langhof said.
‘What farmers need most is skill sharing, learning about other methods which are working and real support in establishing infrastructure and a market so they can actually sell what they’re producing.’ Langhoff cited additional obstacles for farmers, including competition with large-scale industries, farmers being thrown off their land to make space for monocultures or cash crop production, and monopolised seed markets with one-size-fits all solutions.
In South Africa, Pettersson is planning to launch a new Department of Agriculture program to encourage small-scale farming. She hopes to get government institutions, such as schools, hospitals and prisons, to procure their food from local farms.
‘In South Africa most people produce food they don’t eat and they eat the food they don’t produce,’ Pettersson explained. ‘So through small holder agriculture and through our Zero Hunger campaign, we are highlighting the connection between food security and small holder farming but were also saying that if we don’t look at CSA well be relegating them to subsistence for the rest of their lives.’
10 Number 30 December 2011
