AU agric ministers strategise against COVID-19 effects

African Ministers of Agriculture with the support of the African Union Commission (AUC) Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) jointly convened a virtual meeting on April 16, 2020 to look at the impact of coronavirus on food security and nutrition. The meeting was co-convened […]

African Ministers of Agriculture with the support of the African Union Commission (AUC) Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) jointly convened a virtual meeting on April 16, 2020 to look at the impact of coronavirus on food security and nutrition.

The meeting was co-convened by Angela ThokoDidiza, the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development of South Africa and Chairman of the AU Specialized Technical Committee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment; and Mr. QU Dongyu, the FAO Director-General. It was moderated by Amb. Josefa Sacko, the Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture of the AU Commission.

The main objective of the meeting was to open a dialogue to identify actions being taken and identify priority actions needed to be undertaken to minimise the effects of  COVID-19.

The ministers noted that as the COVID-19 pandemic reaches a growing number of communities across Africa, governments’ efforts to contain the spread of the virus need to be accompanied by measures to minimize disruptions to the food and agriculture systems and support livelihoods and food security of the most vulnerable.

To date, according to them,  the emerging crisis is viewed primarily through a public health lens (as it should), and only gradually are national strategies, task forces and funds focusing attention on the economic and food and nutrition security impacts.

The ministers feared that there are signs of emerging disruptions on the upstream and downstream links of food and agriculture chains in countries that have implemented health measures to reduce spread of the virus.

According to them, the pandemic could exert a significant supply shock in the region.

“With food and agriculture systems being highly labour-intensive in most African countries, shortages of workers due to restrictions on people and labour mobility may compromise the provision of inputs in upstream, farming activities and downstream trading, processing and transportation activities.

“This may be the case for all crops but especially for perishable horticulture products (such as vegetables, fruits, flowers) and meat and dairy products,” the ministers noted.

The ministers’observation

The ministers observed that the dependence on extra-regional imports for food, in particular for the urban areas, makes African countries more vulnerable to disruptions in international logistics and distribution, in addition to production problems in other countries.

This, they said, could result in food shortages and increases in food prices, particularly in countries highly dependent on food imports, as is the case in many low-income and landlocked countries and small island developing states.

The ministers said these factors, combined with losses in consumer incomes, minimal savings and limited access to public safety nets, mean that COVID-19 also creates significant demand-side risks, particularly for the poor and vulnerable populations. Poor net food consumers in rural and especially in urban areas are in severe risk.

Their fears

The ministers believe that the impact of the pandemic further exacerbates a situation of already high rates of hunger, malnutrition and poverty due to challenges affecting rural areas, including the desert locust outbreak, fall army worm impacts, droughts, conflicts and insecurity.

The disruption of traditional trans-human patterns and the creation of new ones may lead to tensions, social unrests and local displacement and increased levels of poverty, food and nutrition insecurity.

The ministers said the COVIC-19 pandemic has, in particular, also exacerbated another major crisis of the desert locust outbreak that presents Africa an unprecedented threat to food security and livelihoods.

According to them, as many people in Africa implement the COVID 19 preventive measures of social distancing, stay at home and lockdown, hundreds of billions of desert locusts are destroying their crops in the fields. The combination of the locust infestation and COVID-19 could wipe out any hope of food security and put lives of entire populations, especially in Eastern Africa, at prolonged starvation and death if urgent action is not taken to deal with the situation.

The ministers urged the governments to prioritize the food and agriculture system as an essential service that must continue to operate during periods of lockdown, emergency, curfew and other health containment measures.

Agriculture and food marketing interventions must recognize that all types of food systems – modern, traditional (open markets, small stores) and informal (street vendors) – play critical roles in serving different markets and sustaining important parts of the population, thus helping to maintain a resilient food system imperative to minimizing the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on people, the society and the economy.

The ministers’ commitments

To address some of these problems and avert food crisis in the region, the ministers at the end of the meeting, committed themselves to the following:

Ensuring that measures are in place to support food security and nutrition for all and especially for the most vulnerable segment of our populations, with measures to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic while minimizing food system disruptions, simultaneously.

Providing adequate safety nets, including cash, food and other relevant social protection measures to support all vulnerable population groups

Ensuring that agricultural actors and activities at all levels, particularly harvests, are not severely affected by the unintended consequences of the containment measures and restrictions on movement, while keeping safe the work environment of producers, traders and workers.

Ensuring that as the outbreak unfolds, food and agriculture system activities are carefully monitored and assessed and all engaging actors are timely and transparently informed and well advised to pursue their operations.

Ensuring that farmers have timely access to quality equipment and crop inputs including seeds and planting materials this season.

Ensuring that livestock farmers, including pastoralists and fish farmers have access to corresponding inputs such as animal feeds and access to pasture as well as quality fish inputs to support the aquaculture industry.

Putting in place measures that will reduce food post-harvest losses and thus have more food available in the markets.

Addressing simultaneously, as governments with partners, the double burden of COVID 19 and desert locusts which together, are challenges of grave magnitude that must be kept at the heart of the urgent work programme in Africa.

Working with local leaders to ensure that downstream and upstream food and agriculture markets and the informal food sector remain open and operate properly, while complying with health and safety guidelines, among others.