LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Summer 2009

by Adeline Borot de Battisti / Joe Dewbre

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Sir,
As Gilles Saint-Martin rightly says, contrary to popular opinion African agriculture is not universally disaster stricken. That insight is supported by our recent analysis of food production in Cameroon, Ghana and Mali. Since the mid-1980s, a combination of increased yields and more land under cultivation has spurred rises in food production in these countries at rates significantly faster than population growth. There are other agricultural success stories in Africa too. However, as Saint-Martin also notes, demographic growth outstrips food production in many African countries, worsening the economic and nutritional plight of millions of vulnerable people. And of course, food security is often threatened less by agricultural failure than by political unrest, economic instability and government crises.

Saint-Martin cautions European Union policymakers against rebuilding food stockpiles and selling off surpluses at a discount. We agree that a return to the interventionist agricultural policies of the past would be detrimental both to the long-term interests of poor food-importing countries and EU consumers and taxpayers. The OECD’s Producer Support Estimates for 2008 show the EU has made steady progress for 25 years, reducing both the overall level of farm support and also the proportion of the most market-distorting practices.

We also approve Saint-Martin’s backing for additional EU funds to finance food security in developing countries and to promote cooperative agricultural research. However, we are less enthusiastic about his view that Africa needs its own version of the Common Agricultural Policy to “regulate markets and imports.” Public investment in agricultural research, education, rural infrastructure etc is more effective at improving food security than government interventions in the market place. The benefits of free trade must not be sacrificed in the name of enhanced local food production, especially in African countries which are highly dependent on food imports.

We are likewise sceptical about the need for a new global body to “facilitate the management of resources on a global scale [and] regulate arbitrage by speculators.” The root of the problem is not market instability and speculative bubbles. Last year’s food price spike dramatically increased public awareness of the greater pre-existing problem: that millions of poor and undernourished people are vulnerable to high food prices.

The search for a sustainable solution to this problem must focus on policies that foster rapid and inclusive economic growth in poor countries. So Saint-Martin is on the right track again when he emphasises the need for EU policies to encourage economic cooperation and trade integration within Africa. Such cooperation would allow African countries to share experiences on best policy practice and avoid ad hoc beggar-thy-neighbour isolationist responses.