How has the Green Belt Movement affected and/or shaped modern agriculture in Kenya?

Final: How does the Western world Respond to a Food Crisis in Africa

Final Project - Restoring Food Security in Eritrea

Final Project
Bethany Sheppard
Humans of New York
What is food insecurity like in Eritrea and what type of agricultural developments can be used to change it?

The year is 2050 and my home country of Eritrea has never been better. With a steady population of 3 million, we have turned the trajectory of our country’s progress around through hard work and dedication. In the early 2000s, my country had more than half of its people living below the poverty line, all while suffering from food insecurity. Our long history of wars and border conflicts only helped to displace those who lived on lands fertile enough to produce food. Unfortunately, the climate brought droughts and harsh climates, only enforcing our poor living conditions and lack of food. All of this was our reality until a group of like-minded individuals and I decided it was time for change. Because I grew on a small farm, I knew that agriculture held the key to the change I wanted to see. First, we elected officials that were a part of the organization so that they would implement policies that would use the humanitarian aid to develop positive infrastructure. Because water access is a big problem, these developments were used to help establish better irrigation systems. Rather than ineffective practices, they established drip systems that allowed a more precise application. Along with the actual agricultural systems, these policy makers helped to create laws that made it easier for citizens to obtain and own land. Land ownership in Eritrea used to be a troublesome process but now, it has become a much easier process. With more people owning land, our agricultural products have diversified. A select few grow cash crops that we can export to help stimulate our economy on a global scale but there are still many subsistence farmers that help to grow crops to sell in our local economies. With this balance, we are able to prosper and grow enough food to eradicate food insecurity.

Resouces

"Agriculture and Food Security." U.S. Agency for International Development. 27 Apr. 2017. Web. 01 May 2017. <https://www.usaid.gov/what-we-do/agriculture-and-food-security>.

"Food Insecurity in the Horn of Africa." FAO Corporate Document Repository. Web. 01 May 2017. <http://www.fao.org/docrep/003/x8530e/x8530e02.htm>.

Kayouli, Chedly, Tzeggai Tesfai, and Assefaw Tewolde. "Eritrea." FAO. Halhale Research Centre, 2006. Web. 01 May 2017. <http://www.fao.org/ag/agp/agpc/doc/counprof/eritrea/Eritrea.htm>.

Rena, Ravinder. "Challenges for Food Security in Eritrea: A Descriptive and Qualitative Analysis." African Development Review, vol. 17, no. 2, Sept. 2005, pp. 193-212. EBSCOhost.

"World Food Day 2016: Notes on Food Security in Eritrea." Shabait. 19 Oct. 2016. Web. 01 May 2017. <http://www.shabait.com/categoryblog/22752-world-food-day-2016-notes-on-food-security-in-eritrea->.

Merci Irakoze' Final Project

Merci Irakoze                                                                         

Agriculture

5/1/17

Growing Africa’s Agriculture

As nations around the world are calculating how to end world hunger,  The Gates Foundation is playing a huge role as a solution to this problem, as it is leading the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa ( AGRA). This is a private organization owned by Bill and Melinda Gates which was founded in 2006.  The paradigm of this foundation is free market for its goal is to make sure there is food and health security in developing countries mostly located in Africa. It believes that  one way to reduce hunger in Africa is by investing in agriculture. This organization works across Africa to help millions of smallholder farmers (who make up 70% of Africa’s population) to boost their farm productivity and income.

AGRA is supporting more than 400 projects, including efforts to develop and deliver better seeds, increase farm yields, improve soil fertility, and upgrade storage facilities. Such paradigm influence how the foundation approach to development for there is no government intervention. Though this organization is working with 14 countries in Africa, there are still other countries that have refused to accept it. Countries like Zambia have declared since in 2000 to ban GMOs. Despite the great famine that has come upon the country, the government has refused to allow genetically modified seeds into the country. Since the AGRA is funded by the Bill Gates Foundation, it is more likely to have GMO seeds; therefore the country decided to reject its offer as well. Nonetheless, for its opposition, it seems like the approach the Gates  Foundation is taking a Top-Down development for most of the organization relies on the Gates Foundation. If the Foundation would to stop supporting these organizations, most of them would die. Also many farmers in developing countries depends on GMO seeds. “People in the U.S. need to help us produce, not give us food and seeds.  They’re ruining our chance to support ourselves,” said farmer Jonas Deronzil of a peasant cooperative in the rural region of Verrettes.[5] What AGRA is doing is providing seeds to small farmers on loans that will take years to pay back, which later cause dependency on the organization to always provide seeds, instead of teaching the farmers how to produce their own. Though these seeds are mostly drought resistances, AGRA does not provide inform most farmers what GMO seeds really are.

Citations

Bell, B. (2010, May 17). Haitian Farmers Commit to Burning Monsanto Hybrid Seeds. Retrieved April 20, 2016, from http://otherworldsarepossible.org/haitian-farmers-co

mmit-burning-monsanto-hybrid-seeds

Lopatto, E. (n.d.). Can GOMS End Hunger in Africa? Retrieved April 24, 2016, from http://www.theverge.com/2015/2/18/8056163/bill-gates-gmo-farming-world-hunger-africa-poverty

Reiff, D. (2008, October 10). A Green Revolution for Africa? Retrieved April 24, 2016, from http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/12/magazine/12wwln-shah-t.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1

Silver, C. (2013, February 24). In the ring: Monsanto and the farmer. Retrieved April 20, 2016, from http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2013/02/2013

Improving Irrigation in Ethiopia Final Project Sarah Becknell

This infographic provides a lot of background information for the current drought in Ethiopia. Ethiopia has been battling the effects of the drought for years which means crop yield and livestock are beginning to dwindle and die. 1.4 billion dollars are needed to cover the aid of all the people who are being impacted by this drought. However, there is an alternative where we could only spend 100 million vs 1.4 billion by simply improving the current irrigation systems and systems that are in charge of the irrigation projects. This infographic goes into the details of the 5 cause-and-effect steps to improve irrigation that could vastly change the production of the agricultural sector of Ethiopia. 

Works Cited

FAO. AQUASTAT website. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 2016. http://www.fao.org/nr/water/aquastat/countries_regions/ETH/

"A Massive Drought in Ethiopia Again?" Aid for Africa. N.p., 10 Feb. 2016. Web. http://www.aidforafrica.org/blog/massive-drought-ethiopia/?gclid=CjwKEAjw2qzHBRChloWxgoXDpyASJAB01Io0MY9jIFKFLFaHAVy_p0pXg_fgGJGKm_432rofBT95zxoC-5bw_wcB

"Ethiopia Initiates 10 Irrigation Projects." AFROL News. N.p., n.d. Web. http://www.afrol.com/articles/26415

World Bank. 1987. Ethiopia - Small-scale Irrigation and Conservation Project. Washington, DC: World Bank. http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/430811468251409173/Ethiopia-Small-scale-Irrigation-and-Conservation-Project

Loren Weber's Final - How is Cocoa grown? How does it affect the economy? What is Fair Trade?

What role do traditional crops and cropping systems have today in Africa? - Kinner, Nelson, Garcia, Sheppard

Comic strip polyculture&amp;monoculture (1) from Bethany Sheppard