Namibia needs food aid

ELLANIE SMIT WINDHOEKNamibia is among 33 countries in Africa the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) says are in need of external food assistance.In its latest Crop Prospects and Food Situation Report issued this month, the FAO assessed that, globally, 44 countries - including 33 in Africa, nine in Asia and two in Latin America and the Caribbean - are in need of food aid this year.According to the report, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic continues to undermine food security globally.It said in Namibia food security conditions have improved in this year compared to 2020, but the negative effects of the pandemic, primarily income and job losses, continue to constrain households’ access to food.Bumper harvest expectedThe report noted that the aggregate cereal output for southern Africa is estimated at 40.9 million tonnes in 2021, about 23% above the five-year average and a new record high.“Significant production increases compared to the five-year averages were estimated in Botswana, Malawi, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe, where crops benefitted from almost ideal weather conditions throughout the season. Good outputs were also registered in Eswatini, Lesotho and Namibia.”The report said in import-dependent Botswana and Namibia, prices of maize meal were stable or fell slightly between May and July this year and were higher on a yearly basis, reflecting price dynamics in South Africa, the countries’ main source of grains. Progress reversedAlso, the findings of another FAO report show that Covid-19 has set back progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), undermining decades of development efforts."It is an alarming picture, in which progress on many SDG targets has been reversed, with a significant impact on all aspects of sustainable development and making the achievement of the 2030 Agenda even more challenging," FAO chief statistician Pietro Gennari said.One of the areas in which the world is falling behind or making negligible progress is the target to end hunger.The Covid-19 pandemic might have pushed an additional 83 to 132 million people into chronic hunger last year. Furthermore, an unacceptably high proportion of food (14%) is lost along the supply chain before it even reaches the consumer, while agricultural systems bear the brunt of economic losses due to disasters.The report also noted that small-scale food producers remain disadvantaged, with women producers in developing countries earning less than men - even when more productive. “Food price volatility has increased, due to the constraints placed by the Covid-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns.”Water crisisMeanwhile, water stress remains alarmingly high in many regions, threatening progress towards sustainable developmentThe report stressed the need to scale up investment in agriculture, improve access to new agricultural technologies, credit services and information resources for farmers; support small-scale food producers; conserve plant and animal genetic resources for food and agriculture; adopt measures to counter food price volatility, and prevent potentially hazardous events from devolving into full-blown disasters.It also called for more action to use water more efficiently in regions most affected by high water stress, better targeted interventions to reduce food losses and waste, and more protection of terrestrial and forest ecosystems. ellanie@namibiansun.com

Namibia needs food aid

Comments

Namibian Sun 2025-07-02

Please login to leave a comment

Namibia needs food aid

Comments

Namibian Sun 2025-07-02

Please login to leave a comment

Login