How to Reduce Hunger, Diseases and Poverty in Africa - Research Paper Example

Africa's Hunger Introduction Africa is a continent that is very much burdened with political and socioeconomic instability. After Asia, it is the second largest continent on earth, yet it is ranked as one of the poorest and underdeveloped continent. The majority of the population has to deal with atrocious water, and sanitation conditions and many African people suffer from afflictions such as malnutrition, poverty, illiteracy, diseases, among many others. However, this paper underpins its literature on Africa’s hunger. In this regard, it is worth noting that although Africa experiences hunger, literatures have described poor farming practices, poverty, unfair trade markets, lack of proper measures by governments to introduce and implement food security projects among others (Lavy 132). The effects of hunger are devastating with much being felt by children and elderly. Hunger has led to conflict between human beings and animals as they venture in to forests for search of arable lands (Karapinar 58). This has worsened the situation as people destroy forests, which acts as water catchment areas. However, due to its failure to offer food security to its people, many people think that Africa unproductive, but it is an agriculturally productive continent, but lacks ways of managing its food production, and has poor farming practices and; therefore, the yields are minimal. Causes of hunger in Africa On his part, Sahn emphasizes that poverty is the resultant factor for the food crises in Africa. Poverty is the inability to acquire the basic needs in life: food, clothes, shelter, and money (42). It has contributed a lot in food insecurity. Poverty is a result of lack of employment for some people. They lack money to buy food and the other basic needs. Poverty has caused a lot of hunger in many African countries. Karapinar and Christian noted that, in the poor countries, many farmers consume all of their staple food output (26). Perhaps, lack of entrepreneurship strategies in this region especially by these farmers accelerates the level of poverty. Uncontrolled food prices posses a great threat to low income earners, who at one time have plenty of it, but fail to utilize it and sell it as a form of business. If this assertion by Karapinar and Christian is critically reviewed, then it can be argued that Africa is not a poor country, what lack are principles and policies regarding food management. According to Rice 16, the agricultural techniques are a major contributor to the poor yield the farmers in the region received. The agricultural practices are poor and therefore, the yields are minimal; this does not support the growing population in East Africa (Rice 18). The large scale farmers produce poor yield. The crops are destroyed during harvesting due to poor harvesting methods, and a lot more food is destroyed in storage as they are affected by pests and diseases. On his part, Watson mentioned that hunger in Africa has been caused by issues that pertains the climate changes, poverty, poor agricultural practices, conflicts, unfair trades, HIV/AIDS related problems, lack of water and overdependence to donor funding (31). The United States Senate cited that the unfair trade markets affects people’s trading of goods across continents. Unfair trade markets has also contributed to hunger in one way or another; the exportation of food crops has become very lucrative in Africa, but the problem arises because the crops being exported are being underpaid and the freight charges are high. This still hinders the growth of GDP. It contributes to hunger as it increases the rate of hunger in the population due to poverty. However, according to Pantaleo and Jaspars 46, dependence on donor funding has made more people in Africa not work for their food. They do not look for sustainable measures to end poverty and food insecurity in their regions. The wait for donor funding and food aids from the various donors for their survival Effects of hunger in Africa On his book, Karapinar capitalized on issues to do with the food crises in Africa. He mentioned the dire effects of hunger in the continent. He gave a brief explanation on what this crisis entails and its relations with the WTO. The results of hunger in some of these regions are death due to starvation, malnutrition in children and adults due to lack of nutritious foods (Karapinar 27). There is a loss of the population that is brought about by the deaths that occur due to hunger; the economy is crippled even more because of poverty. Karapinar also noted that there is loss of biodiversity and habitat disturbance that come about due to cutting down of trees by people to grow food crops. The latter also brings about human wildlife conflict as a result of deforestation too. People end up encroaching forested areas as they search for fertile lands to grow their foods. Child mortality due to hunger also increases. Diseases caused by hunger have become rampant due to the condition; for example, children get malnourished and eventually die (Henderson 22). For example, in East Africa, Kenya, there had been instances when people died of hunger in Turkana. Hunger has been a threat to many lives especially from Africa. The literature of this book clearly stipulates on the major causes and effects of hunger in Africa. According to a newspaper article by Henderson Barney, HIV/AIDS has resulted in deaths in the past years since it was discovered in Africa. This has affected the workforce. More people die, and others become sick and cannot work anymore (Henderson 23). This has made it impossible for some African countries because they lack personnel to work in industries for production of food. For this reason, the rate of poverty still goes high as people do not earn an income. HIV/AIDS has resulted further to deaths resulting in desperation amongst some Africans to the extent that they are discouraged to work and produce food. In the end, they die of hunger. Measures to be taken to end poverty and food insecurity Karapinar and Christian recommended that measures are needed to ensure that individuals- and particularly the poor- have access to food they require even during economic crises and during periods of high food prices (37). It is also necessary to have the agricultural economists to broaden agricultural research and development in order to secure long-term food security (37). With such embodiment from Karapinar and Christian, this book exonerates the issue of hunger in a comprehensive manner. It is necessary for mitigation measures to be undertaken, especially by the sub Saharan countries in relation to the food crises that had hit the region hard (Lavy 120). Lavy mentioned that the situation was transitory and had to be stopped. The mitigation measures that should be taken into consideration include improving humanitarian responses by ensuring quicker assistances are offered to the African countries in times of food crises (Lavy 125). The governments should put up measures or structures that will help curb food crises. There should be long term schemes that will ensure that the issue of food insecurity comes to an end for good. The root causes of hunger should all be tackled in time. That way the food crises would be contained in any African country (Lavy 128). Conclusion This paper has discussed various articulating issues related to hunger in Africa, the underlying principle being assessing various ways of ensuring food security in Africa. Nevertheless, as discussed earlier, it is evident that Africa is an agriculturally productive continent, but lacks ways of managing its food production. It is also apparent that failure by the relevant stakeholders to control food prices has worsened the situation, with the poor being subjected to languishing in hunger. Poverty has also been cited as a major contributor of hunger in Africa. The continent has poor farming practices and, therefore, the yields are minimal, and this does not support the growing population in continent. However, there is a need for mitigation short-term measures which should include improving humanitarian responses by ensuring quicker assistances are offered to the African countries in times of food crises. On the other hand, there should be long term schemes that will ensure that the issue of food insecurity comes to an end for good. Works cited: Henderson, Barney."13 Million People 'threatened by Food Crisis in Africa'" Telegraph.co.uk. 9 Mar. 2012. Web. 10 Mar, 2012 Hunger in Africa: Hearing before the Subcommittee on African Affairs of the Committee on Foreign Relations, United States Senate, Ninety-eighth Congress, Second Session, March 1, 1984. Washington: U.S. G.P.O., 1984. Pantaleo, C. and S. Jaspars. Cash Transfer Programming in Emergencies, Oxfam Skills and Practice series, Oxford: Oxfam. (2005). Print. Karapinar, Baris and Christian Haberli. Food Crises and the WTO: World Trade Forum. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge UP, 2010. Print. Lavy, Victor. "Alleviating Transitory Food Crises in Sub-Saharan Africa: International Altruism and Trade."The World Bank Economic Review 6.1 (1992): 125-38. Print. Rice, Xan. "Hunger Pains: Famine in the Horn of Africa." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 08 Aug. 2011. Web. 10 Mar. 2012. Sahn, David E. Economic Reform and the Poor in Africa. Oxford: Clarendon, 1996. Print. Watson, R. Hunger in Africa: The Human Dimensions. Monrovia, CA. World Vision International, 2004. Print. Read More