Faire preuve d’imagination pour régler le problème de la faim dans un monde en changement 
Auteur : Josette Sheeran
Date : October 19th, 2007
Commentaires : 20
Pour ceux d’entre nous qui travaillons dans le monde humanitaire, le problème de la faim représente un enjeu de taille à l’aube de ce 21e siècle. Le Programme alimentaire mondial (PAM) est la plus grande agence humanitaire au monde, reconnue pour intervenir rapidement et efficacement dans les situations d’urgences soudaines et imprévues. Malheureusement, toute la planification, la préparation ou la prévention possible n’auraient jamais pu nous préparer à la situation à laquelle nous sommes tous confrontés aujourd’hui.
Nous sommes une organisation qui achète des vivres en quantité considérable que nous transportons du champ aux bénéficiaires. Mais nous sommes aujourd’hui pris dans un étau entre les prix des céréales qui sont à la hausse et des besoins qui sont de plus en plus importants. Nous sommes sérieusement mis à l’épreuve.
Nombre d’entre nous appartiennent à une génération qui a connu de gigantesques excédents de production agricole. Dans les années 1960 et 1970, les économistes agronomes parlaient des « montagnes de céréales » et des « lacs de vin » produits par un monde industrialisé. Le défi qu’ils avaient alors à relever se résumait à trouver comment gérer cette surproduction. Aujourd’hui, ces montagnes s’érodent et ces lacs s’assèchent.
L’année prochaine, il est prévu que les stocks mondiaux de céréales atteindront leur niveau le plus bas depuis trente ans, ce qui confirme bien que nous vivons dans une ère de production agricole post-excédentaire. L’offre diminue et les prix flambent à cause de pressions que nous ne contrôlons pas:
- La croissance de la population mondiale explose. Nous sommes actuellement 6,7 milliards. Les Nations Unies estiment que la population mondiale atteindra les 8 milliards d’ici à 2025 et 9,1 milliards d’ici à 2050. Ce sont les pays en développement qui absorberont la grande majorité de cette augmentation.
- Les biocarburants : nous faisons face à l’essor récent de la transformation des produits agricoles en carburant. Les agriculteurs vendent leurs récoltes de maïs à des producteurs d’éthanol.
- La croissance économique : les populations d’Inde et de Chine sortent progressivement d’une pauvreté extrême et souhaitent à leur tour consommer des œufs, des produits laitiers et même du poulet à l’image des pays développés. Quasiment tous les animaux qui produisent du lait ou des œufs se nourrissent de céréales. En d’autres termes, les vaches et les poulets concurrencent les hommes pour le maïs et le blé.
Alors que le PAM lutte contre les sursauts imprévisibles des marchés agricoles, les producteurs, leurs familles et leurs clients font face au phénomène le plus aléatoire du monde actuel: le changement climatique. Les personnes les plus vulnérables dans les pays en développement dépendent de l’aide alimentaire du PAM quand frappent les catastrophes naturelles. Or, ces dernières se produisent de plus en plus souvent.
Nous affrontons actuellement les pires inondations que l’Afrique ait jamais connues de mémoire d’homme - les rivières sortent de leur lit de l’Atlantique à l’océan Indien, de l’ouest à l’est du continent. Dans certains pays comme la Somalie, de graves sécheresses ont été suivies quelques mois plus tard, de pluies diluviennes qui ont submergé des régions entières du pays.
Le directeur de l’office pour la coordination des affaires humanitaires de l’ONU a déclaré récemment que le nombre d’inondations, de sécheresses et de tempêtes en 2007 confirme ce que tout le monde pressentait : l’impact du changement climatique se fait déjà sentir. Autrement dit, il a confirmé ce que nous craignions le plus : les besoins d’assistance de la part d’agences telles que le PAM ne feront sans doute qu’augmenter.
La combinaison de ces trois facteurs - la croissance de la population mondiale, l’augmentation des prix des céréales et le changement climatique – place le PAM dans une situation particulièrement difficile : on nous demande d’en faire beaucoup plus, mais nos financements n’augmentent pas en conséquence. Nous venons de finaliser notre budget pour 2008 et 2009. En plus d’une hausse de 50 pour cent du cours des céréales sur les cinq dernières années, nous prévoyons une augmentation de 35 pour cent pour les deux ans à venir. Sur ces mêmes années, nous livrerons 780 000 tonnes de vivres en moins.
Comment faire face à ce défi? En utilisant l’aide alimentaire de manière encore plus intelligente. Par cela, nous entendons accomplir notre mission en éliminant non seulement la faim au moment même où nous intervenons, mais aussi en nous attaquant à ses causes profondes.
En Ethiopie, nous avons mis en place un projet pilote d’assurance contre la sécheresse qui couvre les pertes des producteurs quand un climat trop aride détruit leurs récoltes. Ce programme leur permet ainsi de planifier la prochaine saison plutôt que de grossir les rangs des populations contraintes à se déplacer.
En Afrique, nous achetons le plus souvent de la nourriture pour les personnes sous alimentées auprès de petits agriculteurs locaux. Le mois dernier, par exemple, nous avons acheté du maïs blanc à des agriculteurs du Lesotho. En effet, 77 pour cent de la nourriture que nous nous procurons par des achats en espèces provient de 70 pays en développement dans le monde. Nous achetons le plus possible en Afrique pour l’Afrique. Cette méthode ne permet pas seulement au PAM d’économiser, elle aide également à renforcer les moyens de subsistance des petits agriculteurs. A leur tour, ces derniers contribuent à soutenir leur économie locale.
Nous avons énormément appris sur le terrain durant près d’un demi-siècle et le défi auquel le PAM doit faire face consiste aujourd’hui à mettre ce savoir à profit, non seulement pour nourrir ceux qui en ont besoin mais aussi pour agir de manière à briser le cycle de la faim.
Richard G. Lanzara
Date : April 17th, 2008 03:24:16
Evolving Toward a World-Wide Food Collective?
It appears that something like a world-wide food collective is evolving from the somewhat scattered food assistance programs. Perhaps what is needed is some type of insurance/business model somewhat like what you described in your comment below to Mr Hoole from Global Poverty Action where WFP designed the Ethiopia Drought Insurance pilot project with AXA Re, a Paris-based re-insurance company. However, it is difficult to understand why WFP has to help the Ethiopian government set up an insurance policy which will pay out money when food stocks are low. Why can’t Ethiopia together with other nations set up a type of farmer’s collective food insurance program among themselves? A monetary system would probably have to be a part of it, but the basic currency is food. Something like a NATO for famine? When famine appears imminent the member states would collectively assist where needed or is this too idealistic?
Phillip Huggan
Date : April 12th, 2008 04:02:37
There is a 1st world farming nuisance that I wonder if has a 3rd world corollary. In Canada, farmers are enjoying record grain prices, but there is no surge capacity in stockpiles of productivity enhancing farm equipment. That is, when a farmer has a good year, he likes to buy a new tractor or combine. But companies like John Deere and Buhler are out of stock when so many famrers want to buy equipment. The effect is to mildly dampen productivity in the next year or two.
If there are record grain prices for 3rd world farmers, I hope the stocks of treadle pumps and drip irrigation systems aren’t depleted. It costs alot to store grain, but the costs of storing these IDE products shouldn’t be much.
Also, there should be some agency solely dedicating to bringing the price of grain storage down. This is probably being taken care of on the biotech end of things, but physical grain storage can probably be brought down in price with some trials seeing as how elevators store grain for days-months, and what is needed here is a storage mechanism lasting years. For example, this mid-80s research: http://www.idrc.ca/en/ev-83069-201_810126-1-IDRC_ADM_INFO.html
The real issue is funding. If research could show 3rd world populations will be players in the world’s future service sector (tourism, computer programming), or if countries that enjoy industrial productivity gains steepen their taxes and increase foreign aid, it should be very easy politically to justify feeding the world now.
Mild tarriffs on pork and beef consumption in 1st world markets to be given as 3rd world grain subsidies (I prefer raising 3rd world grain subsidies rather than lowering 1st world food-grain subsidies) would be a win win scenario when health budgets are taken into account. Not to sure where chickens fall in social costing.
Che Thuy Nhu
Date : April 9th, 2008 10:07:57
Vietnam halts contracts for rice exports by the end of June
(Date: 08/04/08)
On 3rd, April, Vietnam Food Association required enterprises to halt contracting for rice exports by the end of June,08. The above requirement is based on Prime Minister’s guideline on targeting to export about 3.5-4 million tonnes of rice for national food security.
Before, on 17/3 the Association also required enterprises not to sign contracts for March and April delivery due to many changes in supply and international and domestic prices. Since the early year, Vietnam rice export prices have increased sharply. Particularly, 5% broken rice price rise from 355 USD per tonne to 460 USD per tonne in February,08. Lately, a lot of business sign contracts to export rice to the Philippines at the high price of 750-760 USD per tonne
(Source: Icard)
http://www.agroviet.gov.vn
Che Thuy Nhu
Date : April 3rd, 2008 04:13:21
In Vietnam
Now the price for rice and other food is increasing every day. It’s called ” Storm of price “.
The Goverment apply the policy to reduce the volume of export rice.
Inflation happen in all country
10 provinces are in cholera epidemic. The Ministry of Health calls to apply the methods for prevention of cholera epidemic in all country.
The reason is duty food and bad hygience habits.
Maijority of people don’t have the idea about clean food standard !!!
Josette Sheeran
Date : April 1st, 2008 09:17:23
Thanks for your comment. A lot of people are under the impression that there is surplus food to dump. The unfortunate reality is that the era of food surpluses is well and truly over. We are now seeing the lowest year-end grain stocks for more than three decades. The soaring food prices of the last year and more testify to the fact that there is now a ready market for all the food produced in the world.
WFP has to compete with all other consumers to procure what it needs. Last year, WFP spent $612 million buying food from 69 different developing countries, helping build sustainable farm economies. Each year, we try to buy as much as we can in the developing world and take active steps to help develop and sustain markets and provide incentives to small-scale farmers in developing countries. We are very careful, when we buy, to purchase surplus grain that might not find its way to market.
But there simply aren’t enough supplies in the developing world to meet the needs of our beneficiaries — one of the reasons we are grateful that some of our large donors, like the US, continue to provide large in-kind contributions.
Phillip Huggan
Date : March 16th, 2008 07:30:24
I’m learning about the how a commodity exchange is being phased in, in Ethiopia. Of all the preconditions, the physical infrastructure looks to be the main limiting condition to enacting financial grain market exchanges across the developing world.
A necessary locii of buyers and sellers is either there or not there. Farm co-ops can assumingly be create by meeting and educating local farmers. Exchange staff can be educated from whatever base of existing grain bartering workforce exists, assuming they aren’t to corrupt or the local government isn’t too corrupt as to permit a financial exchange workforce to be trained from scratch or imported. Modern telecommincation equipment is easy to import. Constructing a physical building is easy in nations where infrastructure is reasonably secure. Price signals can be sent to remote towns via chalkboards and mail, as has been accomplished in Ethiopia even in areas without roads.
If the roads/rails/ports for transport of grain to market aren’t available, a commodity exchange can’t be enacted. This is an issue of governance efficacy, foreign aid, or private-public partnerships. But if there aren’t effective grain storage facilities, along with associated quality-control (grain grading) functions, farmers will have trouble maximizing their profitability. Perhaps the WFP could provide accounting services of where all the other commidty exchange prerequisites exist in the developing world, save for physical infrastrucutres like grain elevators. From what I’ve read so far, this is being accomplished in a piecemeal fashion. A more global inventory might be useful.
If global warming isn’t addressed, annual global crop yields will get very variable in the coming decades, more often than not in a downward direction. The idea of enacting a global strategic wheat store will probably make sense at some point in case entire continents a hemisphere suffers simultaneous crop failures.
The cost of truly bulk wheat storage would have to be R+D’d downwards, as cooling grain for decades in standard grain elevators isn’t cost-effective. I’m thinking: fill an air-tight salt mine with wheat, and a mold-insect destroying helium or nitrogen atmosphere, and cap it until crops fail en masse. Wheat, because its low oil content (oil winds up in wheat germ) makes it store indefinitely. Some sort of cooling ventilation system would have to be worked out that is way cheaper than grain elevator refrigeration. Grain is a good insulator, so it might be good enough to position the where there is a cold winter and exchange the atmopshere near the beginning of every winter, hoping the cold nitrogen/helium keeps the grain cold enough throughout the summer to prevent the wheat from spoiling. It would need to be located near a port or near a railraod line capable of handling the surge capacity of most of the railcars in a continent (Europe, North America and parts of Asia might be suitable). Any nation could enact a strategic wheat store, but it would take an agency like the WFP to preplan the logistics of distribution. I don’t know enough about geothermal cooling and heat pipe technology to know the cost of keeping a salt mine chamber sub 5C; this will likely be the economically limiting factor to this concept.
The Sustainable Development Blogger
Date : March 10th, 2008 12:09:29
I fully agree with Ms Sheeran when she said: “How are we coping with these challenges? By feeding smarter. And that means doing our work in a way that will not just eliminate hunger at the moment, but will attack the causes of hunger at their roots”.
After this paragraph I would ask why WFP did not implement this approach. In fact, it seems to me that they continue to simply send food aid in poor countries even if this cause problems to farmers that need to compete with these dumpued products. What is more, I remember the opposition of the WFP to find new disciplines on food aid (notably during the WTO Hong Kong Ministerial Conference) to avoid that is used by developed countries to destroy developing countries agriculture and to conquer a new market.
Josette Sheeran
Date : November 27th, 2007 02:20:50
In response to Mr Glenzer:
I’m sorry that Mr Glenzer feels this way. In fact, we do control our long term budget, which isn’t easy given that our core budget is a derivative of voluntary contributions that rise and fall in accordance with high-profile natural disasters. Governments, private companies and individuals all donate, though the vast majority comes from governments. But donations are higher following high-profile natural disasters like the Tsunami of 2004, and lower when disasters are less frequent.
During the past two years, we fortunately had fewer emergencies world-wide than during two years before. Because of that, we trimmed our core budget for 2008 and 2009 to $345 million, down from $369 million the year before. This exercise is difficult, but critical in order to remain effective and efficient.
To your more important point about tackling hunger at its roots — we are but one of many partners attempting to do this important work. At WFP we strive to deliver all our emergency aid in a way that is “as sustainable as possible.” For this reason, we are now using the majority of cash we receive to purchase food from 70 different developing nations. This helps small farmers by creating a dependable market for them.
There are many other examples — tout vrai en français comme en anglais!
Best,
Josette
kent glenzer
Date : November 26th, 2007 01:18:07
It is specious and obfuscating to say that WFP is addressing anything at the level of root causes. WFP is politiicized, subject to the worst of lowest-common-denominator aspects of international aid. WFP does not control its long-term budget. Can we NOT speak truth to power, dans un blog francais? Pourquoi on fait semblant ici?
Josette Sheeran
Date : November 21st, 2007 12:25:59
In response to Mr Hoole from Global Poverty Action:
I’m happy to talk about our Drought insurance program because it is one of
the many things we are doing that helps mitigate against severe weather
owing to climate change – and we’re trying to think more along these lines
as we do the critical work of helping the hungry.
Let me give you a bit of history: The Government of Ethiopia had been
concerned that it would be forever trapped in a cycle of disaster and
response – with no ability to manage risk. Of course, any farmer needs to
manage risk. No farmer can operate over time
without insurance. So, in 2005, WFP designed the Ethiopia Drought Insurance
pilot project to respond to the Government of Ethiopia’s very valid
concern, entering into the first-ever humanitarian aid derivative contract
with AXA Re, a Paris-based re-insurance company.
The contract provided for an automatic pay-out of up to US$7.1 million if a
weather index reported a significant drop in rainfall against historic
averages, as this would have indicated a widespread crop failure at the end
of the 2006 agricultural season. Since a severe drought did not occur in
2006, no payout from the weather derivative contract was made.
Nevertheless, the pilot demonstrated that innovative ways of financing
disaster are possible and that donors and private sector institutions can
together explore more effective ways to manage risk.
Now in 2007, building on this pilot, we are devising a second phase to
establish a comprehensive risk management strategy. This is built around
four components: Capacity building (providing people with the means to help
themselves), contingency planning and financing and an early warning system
with reliable financing triggers – to provide swift pay-outs when
emergencies occur. Phase II includes the preparation of an insurance system
specially tailored to different levels of risk, thereby providing
comprehensive coverage.
SEBTI Othman
Date : November 17th, 2007 04:58:24
Bonjour Madame, Je tombe tout à fait par hasard sur votre site. Etant jeune retraité j ai quelquefois le temps de naviguer.
Ne faudrait il pas envisager d’organiser l agriculture dans le monde dans la production, de préférence, de plantes adaptées aux terrains ces plantesseraient celles capables de produire au moins autant pour l alimentation que pour l énergie. Les graines allant à l un et les déchets à l autre.
De telle sorte que plus on aurait besoin et on produirait l’ un plus on produirait l’ autre, jamais l’un n allant sans l autre.
Une équation à formuler, y mettre immédiatement dans un brain trust tous les savants qui consacreraient 5 à 10 % de leur temps de travail à y réfléchir et à proposer. Avec un immense blog ouvert à tous vents.
Je ne sais pas si je saurais revenir pour lire la suite mais les idées se lancent pour ne pas retomber
humaine amitiéé.
Mes voeux vous accompagnent.
Michel Monette
Date : November 10th, 2007 02:50:09
Il est curieux que vous donniez l’exemple de l’Éthiopie alors que je venais d’écouter l’économiste Eleni Gabre-Madhin (Building a commodities market in Ethiopia). Je suis d’accord avec Jean-Pierre Barbier quand il dit que la hausse du prix des céréales est un opportunité. Par contre, il faudrait que le régime alimentaire dans les pays riches change (Manger moins de viande par solidarité), sans compter nos choix énergétiques à l’éthique douteuse (Énergie contre nourriture : 800 millions de mal nourris devront-ils attendre ?).
Che Thuy Nhu
Date : November 5th, 2007 12:14:50
Now in 11 provinces of Vietnam the epidemic of diarrhoea ( part with cholera virus ). 600 patients are sending to the hospital. The serious epidemic happen in Hanoi 14/14 districts.
The reason is polluted food and bad hygiene living condition .
Improve the equipment for keeping food in good quality is the requirement avoid hunger and diseases in Vietnam.
The improvement the knowledge of people about hygienic standards for food is also necessary .
John Hoole
Date : November 3rd, 2007 03:35:11
I work for an organization called Global Poverty Action that builds community based water infrastructure in southern Ethiopia. I’m very interested in learning more about the WFP’s drought insurance program. How does it work? Where does the money come from? From a pool that participants pay into? Is there any sense of how well the scheme is performing yet? Thanks.
Ekanath Khatiwada
Date : November 3rd, 2007 04:18:39
It is interesting analysis in terms of contemporary humanitarian supports. While in practices still there is huge gaps in exist strategy. All the humanitarians’ aid should not be categorized similar perspectives. Some time very quick delivery is required as per the situation. There are various cases where the humanitarian support can be well tied up with sustainable development/local resource based economic empowerment activities. Therefore before delivery the humanitarians support it is required to analysis the situation and local context. For example South Sudan is enriching in of its natural resources, huge productive land and good practices of pastoralist economy. In this situation also still humanitarian’s supports and other development activities are not well coordinated. In my opinion we have to develop local economic transactions strategy with in humanitarian support. “Produce locally supply locally”
Albert de Pétigny
Date : October 23rd, 2007 10:35:04
Concernant cette question, que pensez-vous de l’avis de la FAO concernant l’agriculture biologique :
ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/meeting/012/J9918F.pdf (compte rendu en français)
Regarding this issue, what’s your opinion about FAO’s conclusions regarding organic agriculture :
ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/meeting/012/J9918E.pdf (en English)
Abduljaman Damahan
Date : October 23rd, 2007 01:36:46
Your analysis this could be guided tools for humanitarian services can applied for both short and long term humanitarian assistance to feed the global hunger scourge for help in this complex world. With your in depth researched world should wake-up to reach to the poor in every nook corner of the world that have been abandoned for so many long years.
James Teered
Date : October 22nd, 2007 03:32:45
Excellent analysis, thanks. I would have liked to know more about 1) the likely impact of global warming upon the global food situation, apart from the competition with biofuels; 2) what hopes can be expected,or not, from research, notably genetic research on food.
Jean-Pierre Barbier
Date : October 21st, 2007 06:14:33
L’inquiétude que vous exprimez sur les difficultés croissantes d’approvisionnement pour l’aide alimentaire et l’analyse sur le triple défi de la croissance démographique ,du cout croissant des produits alimentaires ainsi que les perspectives du réchauffement climatique ne sont pas contestables.
Mais par ailleurs ,la disparition des “montagnes” de surplus agricoles des pays nantis n’est pas nécessairement une mauvaise nouvelle pour les pays pauvres qui pendant plusieurs décennies ont subi la concurrence de ces produits qui arrivaient chez eux à des conditions hors marché et qui ,de ce fait ,ont laminé nombre de cultures vivriéres.Le renchérissement du blé ou du riz peut permettre aux paysans africains producteurs de mil ou de sorgho d’écouler leurs produits à des prix qui rémunérent leur travail.Les économistes diraient que l’évolution des termes de l’échange entre importations et productions locales vont jouer en faveur des producteurs locaux.
Mais tout cela arrive bien tardivement à un moment où les habitudes alimentaires ont profondément changés (cf:place du pain pour les urbains),où la désertification ,qui n’est pas lié seulement au climat,progresse….
Il est probablement nécessaire pour les agences d’aide qui se sont progressivement détournés du développent rural de réinvestir ce terrain entirant les conséquence de la nouvelle donne économique mondiale.
mohammed elalami
Date : October 21st, 2007 01:29:11
Merci,madame Josette pour vos efforts et votre ténacité pour erradiquer la famine de notre planéte.il est vrai,madame que l’utilisation des cereales pour la production des biocarburants a eu de mauvaises repercussions sur les populations souffrant de la faim,car les aides fournis a ces pays sont en baisse,et les effets du changement climatique sont destructeurs pour les regions vulnerables.Je remarque que le taux de pauvreté dans la region ou j’enseigne est en augmentation,a cause de la secheresse.l’encouragement de la recherche scientifique pour érradiquer la faim est indispensable,le role des ong,l’entraide entre les pays s’avérent de plus en plus vitaux.cordialement.Mohammed elalami.tamalout,maroc.