This spring, the Obama administration unveiled a new initiative aimed at ending hunger in poor countries around the world. Named Feed the Future (FTF), it will initially work with 20 countries, 11 of them in Africa, to boost agricultural production through technological inputs and country-led strategies. Though many of FTF’s components are admirable, including the focus on women’s role in farming and the importance of civil society in carrying out the initiative, it will unfortunately encourage the use of genetically modified (GM) seeds and other profit-driven agricultural components.

The discourse around large-scale, government investment in agriculture emerged several years ago and is becoming an increasingly significant component of U.S.-Africa policy. Beginning with the Gates and Rockefeller Foundations’ Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), U.S. policy and humanitarian advocates claim not enough is being done to capitalize on Africa’s tremendous agricultural wealth. Yet, rather than recognizing that the roots of the problem lay with structural adjustment policies instituted in the 1980’s, violent conflict, unjust trade policies, and climate change, the prevailing wisdom is that Africans simply need to be taught how to farm better using high-tech, Western-based inputs.

The absurdity of that notion aside, it is important to recognize the power of multinational agricultural companies such as Monsanto, Cargill, and Archer Daniels Midland (ADM). All of their profits depend on a system of agriculture that hijacks the sovereignty of small farms, destroys the environment, and produces food as though it’s a product on an assembly line. Moreover, the history of these companies in the global south has been incredibly detrimental to local communities. The infusion of Monsanto’s GM seeds in Asia bankrupted farmers (who were forced to buy expensive fertilizers and were unable to save seeds from year to year) and depleted the soil of its nutrients, all the while boosting the company’s profits.

Thus, to see a Congressional oversight hearing on the FTF initiative include testimony from Monsanto and the Monsanto-funded Danforth Plant Science Center is disheartening. Only one member of the panel, Dr. Hans Herron, seemed irate at the blatant disregard of FTF for the agricultural wisdom already inherent in Africa and other developing countries. Meanwhile, the Danforth Plant Science Center hailed the creation of a nutrient and protein-rich cassava plant without recognizing that the remedy for nutrient deficiencies exists in crop diversity (and thus diet diversity). Hopefully, the initiative’s focus on country-led and civil-society led approaches will yield a shift away from biotech, but it will require careful monitoring by advocates both in Africa and in the United States.

Revision of the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) also poses a threat to food sovereignty on the continent. Many policymakers now recognize AGOA’s disproportionate benefits for multinational corporations involved in extractive industries such as oil and mining, so a recent emphasis has been placed on agriculture. The idea is that approximately 75 percent of Africans are involved in the agricultural sector, so increasing agricultural trade is the best way to benefit a majority of Africans. We need to be careful here, however, as agriculture can also be an extractive industry where corporations benefit more than the small farmer.

Agricultural organizations and projects all over the Africa are skilled in farming sustainably through use of traditional seed and indigenous methods of irrigation and soil enrichment, so it’s discouraging to hear the U.S. government take such a top-down approach to agricultural growth. On the bright side, the global food sovereignty movement is growing, with organizations like Via Campesina and Biowatch South Africa taking the lead on promoting locally-based approaches to agricultural production. Additionally, American and European organizations such as Food First and GRAIN are actively campaigning against Monsanto’s involvement in the global south, providing resources to communities in Africa looking to maintain their food sovereignty

It remains to be seen how much of a contribution FTF will make to agricultural growth in Africa, particularly when hunger has more to do with power, marginalization, and inequality than successful farming. It may have a few positive effects, though the Obama administration could do more to promote agricultural growth by pushing for fair trade laws, addressing the causes and consequences of climate change, and by supporting sustainable methods of farming

Beth Tuckey
44 Comments
 
 
While revenues from diamond mining have the potential to benefit the people of Zimbabwe, the industry has been and continues to be tainted by corruption and violence.  The industry threatens to undermine movement towards a transparent and accountable police force and unity government.

Millions of dollars have been siphoned off through illegal diamond mining in the Marange diamond fields, located in eastern Zimbabwe. The Marange diamond fields, discovered in 2006, are the source of much controversy over illegal diamond mining including smuggling of diamonds, forced labor and other accounts of corruption.  Following the GPA in 2008, the military took control of the mines on grounds of eliminating illegal mining and trade, however, they have exacerbated the lack of order in the fields.  The unity government should focus on restoring security responsibilities to the police.  According to Human Rights Watch, if the diamond industry was legally regulated and diamond-mining centers were managed in a responsible manner, estimates could amount to $200million a month for the country.  This revenue could fund a significant portion of the unity government’s economic and social reform programs.

Monitoring the diamond industry is important in fostering transparency and accountability.  The most recent unjustified actions taken by authorities to arrest a leading diamond rights researcher raise serious concerns.  Farai Maguwu, director of the Center for Research and Development in Mutare, a civic group investigating human rights abuses in the Marange diamond fields, was arrested on Thursday, June 3 after he handed himself over to the police in Mutare.  The arrest came about following a meeting between Maguwu and Abbey Chikane, the Kimberly Process monitor appointed to monitor Zimbabwe to see if it had ended rights abuses in Chiadzwa, before it can be certified to sell diamonds.  Prior to Maguwu’s arrest, authorities raided his offices, his house and arrested and assaulted some of his relatives the previous week. He was charged with providing false information to Abbey Chikane, information which indicated that human rights abuses were continuing in Chaidzwa.  Police have withheld Maguwu illegally, denied him bail and have kept him in custody beyond the limit of 48 hours.  On Wednesday, July 7, the High Court again denied him bail. These events bring back bad memories of a culture of impunity of Zimbabwe security forces and works against the democratic transition where citizen’s rights are protected.

Controversies over the trade of Zimbabwe’s diamonds remain contested. Kimberly Process reports on the alleged human rights abuses in the region date back to early 2009, yet the Kimberly Process has not come to a consensus on whether to certify Zimbabwe’s diamonds for export and sale on the international markets.  This could potentially undermine the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme, calling into question their ability to set standards in the trade of conflict diamonds.  The decision over whether to certify Zimbabwe’s diamonds was deferred from a meeting among Kimberly members last month and will be discussed at the World Diamond Council in St. Petersburg, Russia, July 14-15.

Diamonds should benefit the people of Zimbabwe.  If exploited responsibly, diamonds can be paramount to the economic transition of the country.  There is an urgent need to ensure accountability and transparency in Zimbabwe’s diamond industry and to ensure that those in power will not abuse control of diamonds. Africa Action’s Director of Campaigns, Briggs Bomba remarked, “A failure to marshal all available resources and speedily improve people’s livelihoods will be a great betrayal to the aspirations of the long suffering people of Zimbabwe.”

Marieka Walsh
 
30 Comments
 
 
Last week’s luncheon on the current state of Zimbabwe, sponsored by Freedom House, featured Jestina Mukoko, a 2010 International Woman of Courage recipient, and Rindai Chipfunde, founding director of Zimbabwe Election Support Network. The event’s objective was to present perspectives from civil society in the country, and both speakers spoke of the fragile peace, the current state of human rights on the ground, and their opinions as to what further actions are necessary to realize a true democratized Zimbabwe. 

In her speech, Mrs. Mukoko pinpointed areas in Zimbabwean society where considerable gains have been made within a short period of time. In 2010, inflation declined from a dizzying 79600000000% per month to 5.1%, inducing a period of relative calm in the national economy, allowing for basic commercial transactions. This monetary stability helped usher in a sight long forgotten by Zimbabweans: foodon shelves at the market. No longer do people have to travel to South Africa to buy food. But new concerns loom as to whether Zimbabweans are financially capable of purchasing these materials and commodities within their communities. 

The Education and Health department have both received a boost from the economic upswing in the country. Teachers were given vouchers the equivalent of $100 per month, a stark contrast to previously unlivable or nonexistent payments. This amount has now been increased to $150 per month. In addition, more Zimbabweans have access to proper health facilities and care since the Global Peace Accord (GPA) has been in effect. 

However, These marginal gains in varying parts of Zimbabwean life have been offset by continual human rights abuses by the government. Mrs. Mukoko, soon after the GPA was signed, along with other members of the MDC, was kidnapped and held without charge. Still, her organization, the Zimbabwean Peace Project (ZPP), noticed a dramatic decline in human rights abuses in their records over the same period of time.

There are many reasons to be alarmed. For one, the constitutional agreement is seven months late, and some groups have declined to participate because it is not as people-driven as promised by the MDC. The Kariba draft constitution being floated by Zanu PF is currently the most widely known and contended; while its drafters are all men, threats are being issued to garner support for it from women in rural areas.

In order for national healing to occur, human rights abuses must cease.  The continuation of human rights violations prevents Zimbabweans from participating in the healing process. While the GPA has sustained many gains, this remains a challenge, especially considering that one of the tenets of the agreement was for political parties to renounce violence. 

For Zimbabweans to participate in the upcoming elections, a multi-pronged approach is required.  According to Mrs. Chipfunde, these approaches must cover three areas: capacity-building, transparency, and changing the human rights environment. The upcoming elections will happen, mostly due to pressure from the international community, however, efforts should be taken to ensure they take place in the most fair and transparent manner possible, guaranteeing the full participation of Zimbabweans.

By Adienamikiphe Igoni
74 Comments