“The development model in the Sahel, particularly around agriculture, is not addressing the food, nutrition or environmental needs of most of the population, and there is a need for a paradigm shift,” said Peter Gubbels in a recent interview. Gubbels is Groundswell International’s Regional Facilitator for West Africa. From July 8-18 he shared these perspectives in presentations to United Nations bodies and NGOs on strategies to strengthen the resilience of rural communities facing crisis in the Sahel. Gubbels was contracted by Save the Children and World Vision, both members of the Sahel Working Group network of international NGOs, to produce the report “Ending the Everyday Emergency: Resilience and Children in the Sahel.”
“Countries in the Sahel are experiencing the paradox of strong economic growth, even as food and nutrition insecurity increases,” continued Gubbels. “Since 2007, real GNP growth rates in most of the Sahel ranged between 3.5% to 9%. And I was surprised to find that overall food production is only down about 2-3% in the Sahel. So why is it that with a relatively modest reduction in food production we have a huge food and hunger crisis that is affecting 18.7 million people?”
“The reason is what I call the resilience deficit, not the food deficit. People’s assets and mechanisms for resilience are depleted. Drought is a trigger of the acute phase of the crisis, but is not the root of the long-term problem.”
“A fundamental question becomes what model of agriculture to promote. In the old paradigm of relief to development, those facing imminent hunger receive relief such as food aid. On the development end of the spectrum, many key institutions are focused on the “new green revolution” techniques to increase agricultural yields in “breadbasket” areas by providing better off farmers with access to inputs like fertilizers, irrigation and seeds. Yet this leaves aside needs of millions of small scale farmers working in ecological fragile areas. Even if yields go up in some areas, they don’t have money to buy food.”
“Instead of just investing to increase yields, we should ask how we can invest to promote resilience for the wider population, reduce their risk, and enhance sustainable agriculture. Agroecological farming needs to be promoted more widely as an alternative to help the poorer, most vulnerable households to increase their food production, build resilience and improve child and family nutrition. And in addition there is a need to invest in well designed long term social transfer programs targeted to the most vulnerable households caught in the hunger and debt trap, and for relief and development agencies to coordinate more effectively.”