Piracy has brought international attention to Somalia, more than the humanitarian crisis that has existed for years. I dont want to diminish the serious threat it poses to intenrational economic stability, but the piracy issue is being approached backwards.
Pundits and "professionals" of all stripes are claiming piracy must be stopped, but few people care to look on land- where the "pirates" live- to figure out why they do what they do. Rampant piracy is a new development off the coast of Somalia, growing as an industry alongside the degrading political and socio-economic conditions on the mainland. Piracy is a symptom of the greater problems facing Somalia- instability, impunity, poverty, and the greater humanitarian catastrophe that has existed for years now. Trying to fight poverty is important, but if you are trying to end piracy, that requires a lot more time and committment to foster good governance, stability and economic growth in Somalia.
The young boys who become pirates do so out of desperation. They risk their lives to make money, the only way they know how. The desperate economic condition in somalia has made piracy the only viable option for many families. Meanwhile, the extremely weak government can do little to curtail this growing crime because it has little to no control over the population. My recommendation to anyone interested in stoping piracy is to focus on creating conditions on the mainland that will not necessitate or create pirates. Invest in social and economic development intiatives and support good governance.
The world- and international media- seems to ignore the tragic conditions faced by Somalis today. It seems time and again that no one wants to look at the root causes of a problem but rather put a cheap bandaid on it. Unfortunately for Somalis, that cheap bandaid means they will continue to suffer in the dark unless the world's policymakers realize that the fight against piracy is a fight for a better Somalia.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Genetically Modified Food or food shortages?
There is a huge debate surrounding genetically modified foods. The question I'm trying to figure out is whether Somalia- and other developing countries- should begin exploring GMO technology as a possible solution to food insecurity?
Its pretty clear that biotechnology can boost agricultural productivity, which is a great plus. Based on the reasearch I've done, the safety concerns some environmentalists and anti-GMO proponents have is largely based on fear and misperceptions. People in developing countries have caught on to this fear- largely eminating from Europe- and now are afraid of becoming testing grounds for what they perceived to be untested dangerous technology. The reality is this technology is tested, and is already widely in use in the US and Latin America for example, so health risks is not my main concern.
My primary hesitation is that the use of GMO seeds can cause dependency, which means farmers will be relying on the price fluctuations and other whims of foreign multinational companies. That can prove dangerous, and what developing countries need is not only food security, but national security. The ability to have some level of control over the food supply in their nation.
If GM products can be developed locally, I believe there is little reason to resist them. But as long as the seeds are engineered to create dependency, then perhaps its not the best route for emerging economies.
Its pretty clear that biotechnology can boost agricultural productivity, which is a great plus. Based on the reasearch I've done, the safety concerns some environmentalists and anti-GMO proponents have is largely based on fear and misperceptions. People in developing countries have caught on to this fear- largely eminating from Europe- and now are afraid of becoming testing grounds for what they perceived to be untested dangerous technology. The reality is this technology is tested, and is already widely in use in the US and Latin America for example, so health risks is not my main concern.
My primary hesitation is that the use of GMO seeds can cause dependency, which means farmers will be relying on the price fluctuations and other whims of foreign multinational companies. That can prove dangerous, and what developing countries need is not only food security, but national security. The ability to have some level of control over the food supply in their nation.
If GM products can be developed locally, I believe there is little reason to resist them. But as long as the seeds are engineered to create dependency, then perhaps its not the best route for emerging economies.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Food Security
Food Security in Somalia is a difficult subject. The main obstacle to tackling hunger is clearly the lack of peace and stability in much of the country, and the failure to establish a government that can carry out polices to provide immediate food security and build long-term safety-nets. Nevertheless, I'll touch on some policies that can and should be considered for immediate use or expansion.
1- Food Aid is needed to address the current hunger and malnutrition in the country. The World Food Programme has been providing emergency food aid around the world for decades, including in Somalia. They have faced some challenges with the uptick in piracy off the coast, and increased danger to the well being of WFP employees inside the country. Although it is a helpful emergency tool, food aid is fundamentally a short term policy and far from a solution to Somalia's hunger issues.
2- Local procurement of food aid appears to resolve the major flaw in imported food aid. By buying food aid locally, the WFP and other organizations can support the local agricultural market, rather than harming it. The problem with this (aside from creating a monopoly buyer) is that it is politically infeasible in Washington- the USDA provides most of the WFP's food aid from subsidized American farmers, and ships it over on American shipping vessels. The Farm lobby is powerful and wont allow food aid to be purchased from anywhere but the USA, which is why the WFP still has very limited local procurement. It is expanding, however, with the creation of Purchase for Progress. This is possible partly because European countries are providing cash rather than food to the WFP.
4- School feeding is a great strategy used by the WFP that provides schools with food aid so that they can give students a meal. This provides an incentive for kids to come to school, and has an especially high success rate in increasing the number of girls who come to schools. This strategy is a great tool to use in Somalia, and hopefully the WFP can expand into the country soon. The only weakness in this program is that developmental disabilities occur in hungry children primarily in their pre-school years, and by the time they are old enough for school the damage is done. Nevertheless this is a valuable tool.
3- Cash transfer and voucher programs are provided by the World Bank and other organizations to provide people in food insecure countries with access to food. In Latin America, these programs have high success rates and are being expanded. This could be a great resource for Somalia by providing poor people with the purchasing power they need to access food and other essentials. The problem is that it is hard to implement the program in Somalia today because of the lack of a functioning government and instability.
4- Agricultural development and investment is critical to resolving food insecurity in Somalia. Food aid, and to a lesser extent local procurement, cash transfers and school feeding, all have the potential to disrupt local markets and weaken local agricultural producers. Agriculture is a critical component of development and food security globally because it is important for food availability, but also because the poorest (and most food-insecure) people often work in agriculture.
My advice to those interested in improving food security in Somalia- support and invest in agricultural production.
1- Food Aid is needed to address the current hunger and malnutrition in the country. The World Food Programme has been providing emergency food aid around the world for decades, including in Somalia. They have faced some challenges with the uptick in piracy off the coast, and increased danger to the well being of WFP employees inside the country. Although it is a helpful emergency tool, food aid is fundamentally a short term policy and far from a solution to Somalia's hunger issues.
2- Local procurement of food aid appears to resolve the major flaw in imported food aid. By buying food aid locally, the WFP and other organizations can support the local agricultural market, rather than harming it. The problem with this (aside from creating a monopoly buyer) is that it is politically infeasible in Washington- the USDA provides most of the WFP's food aid from subsidized American farmers, and ships it over on American shipping vessels. The Farm lobby is powerful and wont allow food aid to be purchased from anywhere but the USA, which is why the WFP still has very limited local procurement. It is expanding, however, with the creation of Purchase for Progress. This is possible partly because European countries are providing cash rather than food to the WFP.
4- School feeding is a great strategy used by the WFP that provides schools with food aid so that they can give students a meal. This provides an incentive for kids to come to school, and has an especially high success rate in increasing the number of girls who come to schools. This strategy is a great tool to use in Somalia, and hopefully the WFP can expand into the country soon. The only weakness in this program is that developmental disabilities occur in hungry children primarily in their pre-school years, and by the time they are old enough for school the damage is done. Nevertheless this is a valuable tool.
3- Cash transfer and voucher programs are provided by the World Bank and other organizations to provide people in food insecure countries with access to food. In Latin America, these programs have high success rates and are being expanded. This could be a great resource for Somalia by providing poor people with the purchasing power they need to access food and other essentials. The problem is that it is hard to implement the program in Somalia today because of the lack of a functioning government and instability.
4- Agricultural development and investment is critical to resolving food insecurity in Somalia. Food aid, and to a lesser extent local procurement, cash transfers and school feeding, all have the potential to disrupt local markets and weaken local agricultural producers. Agriculture is a critical component of development and food security globally because it is important for food availability, but also because the poorest (and most food-insecure) people often work in agriculture.
My advice to those interested in improving food security in Somalia- support and invest in agricultural production.
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