‘Commercialisation’ of food slammed
Adoption of African production methods urged
Schütt said the funds spent on failing agronomy projects should be directed towards family-based, small-scale, local food production.
Sustainable development expert and local businessman Harald Schütt has called out businesses for commercialising food.
He noted that Western industrial agronomy projects do not work for Africa, let alone Namibia. “We do not have a lack of food. There is enough food in this country. The problem is that we have commercialised it.”
He made the remarks during the launch of the ‘Human Rights in Namibia: Raising Awareness, Keeping Commitments’ project in Windhoek last week. Held by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) with funding from the German embassy through the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), the project - aimed to address human rights and climate change issues - will run for the rest of the year.
Schütt’s remarks came after The Namibian reported that 85 000 Namibians could face death due to hunger, according to figures projected by an acute food insecurity analysis report for July to September.
‘Proven nuisance’
Schütt criticised the adoption of Western industrial food production methods in Africa, arguing that they are ineffective and detrimental. “Africans have known for generations how to feed themselves. This traditional knowledge ensured that past generations survived and thrived.”
He further suggested that the adoption of Western industrial food production methods is to blame for the current hunger crisis. “Why is this country going for a Western industrial concept of food production, which has, over the years, proven to be a nuisance?”
Schütt said he had seen many such projects in shambles, failing to produce food - despite substantial investments in equipment and infrastructure. “I have visited 10 agro-boost projects and nine of them were in shambles and not producing food. Yet, I saw equipment worth billions - and I am not exaggerating - lying around [unused].”
The funds for “these failing projects” should instead be directed towards family-based, small-scale, local food production, he said.
Schütt added that donor and tax funds could be better utilised by training locals in food processing and trade. “Let’s use public funds to train and help locals become self-sustaining citizens,” he noted.
He noted that Western industrial agronomy projects do not work for Africa, let alone Namibia. “We do not have a lack of food. There is enough food in this country. The problem is that we have commercialised it.”
He made the remarks during the launch of the ‘Human Rights in Namibia: Raising Awareness, Keeping Commitments’ project in Windhoek last week. Held by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) with funding from the German embassy through the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), the project - aimed to address human rights and climate change issues - will run for the rest of the year.
Schütt’s remarks came after The Namibian reported that 85 000 Namibians could face death due to hunger, according to figures projected by an acute food insecurity analysis report for July to September.
‘Proven nuisance’
Schütt criticised the adoption of Western industrial food production methods in Africa, arguing that they are ineffective and detrimental. “Africans have known for generations how to feed themselves. This traditional knowledge ensured that past generations survived and thrived.”
He further suggested that the adoption of Western industrial food production methods is to blame for the current hunger crisis. “Why is this country going for a Western industrial concept of food production, which has, over the years, proven to be a nuisance?”
Schütt said he had seen many such projects in shambles, failing to produce food - despite substantial investments in equipment and infrastructure. “I have visited 10 agro-boost projects and nine of them were in shambles and not producing food. Yet, I saw equipment worth billions - and I am not exaggerating - lying around [unused].”
The funds for “these failing projects” should instead be directed towards family-based, small-scale, local food production, he said.
Schütt added that donor and tax funds could be better utilised by training locals in food processing and trade. “Let’s use public funds to train and help locals become self-sustaining citizens,” he noted.
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