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Food Insecurity in Sub-Saharan Africa
USDA & USAIDInternational
Food Aid Conference Kansas City, Missouri
April 6-8, 2009
Source: GAO (photos)
Fighting Hunger in an Era of
Global Economic Crisis
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Proportion of Undernourishment in the World, 2003-05There are now 963 million hungry people worldwide
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Background
• From January 2007 to June 2008, food protests and riots
have occurred in more than 50 countries, including at least
12 countries in sub-Saharan Africa
• Food security and the ongoing food crisis are high on the
global agenda
• Global hunger alleviation is a priority for the new Congress
and the new U.S. administration
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Recent and Ongoing GAO Reviews ofU.S. Food Aid and International Food Security
• Ways to improve the efficiency and effectiveness ofU.S. food aid (April 2007)
• Persistent food insecurity in sub-Saharan Africa (May 2008)
• U.S. and other donors’ experiences with local and regional procurement of food aid (ongoing, due May 2009)
• U.S. government response to global food insecurity(new request)
• Monitoring and evaluation of the Food for Peace Act nonemergency food aid (new mandate)
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Improving the Efficiency and Effectiveness of Food AidSelected Trends in U.S. Food Aid, Fiscal Years 2001 to 2008
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Status of GAO Recommendations on Improvingthe Efficiency and Effectiveness of Food Aid
Implemented Pending
• Improving food aid logistical planningthrough cost-benefit analysis
• Enhancing the reliability and use ofneeds assessments for food aid
• Determining ways to provide nonfood resources when appropriate
• Developing an interagency mechanismto update food aid specifications and products
• Improving the monitoring of food aid programs
• Modernizing ocean transportationand contracting practices
• Minimizing the cost impact of cargo preferences
• Establishing a coordinated systemfor tracking food quality complaints
• Developing an information systemto track monetization transactions
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Multiple Factors Contribute to Persistent Food Insecurity in Sub-Saharan Africa
• Limited Agricultural Productivity
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Multiple Factors Contribute to Persistent Food Insecurity in Sub-Saharan Africa
• Limited rural development
Example: Rural development in sub-Saharan Africa has suffered from weak
infrastructure, such as lack of rural telecommunications, electricity, and
roads, as well as farmers’ lack of access to credit.
• Government policy disincentives
Example: Tanzanian farmers must pay about 55 taxes, levies, and fees to
sell their agricultural products, equivalent to 50 percent of the products’ price.
• Poor health
Example: The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has taken a heavy toll
on the population, workforce, and agricultural production of sub-Saharan
Africa; two-thirds of those in the world who have HIV live in that region.
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High Commodity Prices Will Likely ExacerbateFood Insecurity in Sub-Saharan Africa
Changes in Commodity Prices, 2000 to 2009
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Low Agricultural Spending by Host Governments Remains a Significant Challenge
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Donor Efforts Limited by Declining Resources
Trends in Bilateral and Multilateral Official Development Assistance to Agriculture for Africa, 1974 to 2006
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USAID’s Food Aid for Emergencies Has Increased Substantially, but Food Aid for Development Has Not
Comparison of U.S. Food Aid for Emergencies and Development in Sub-Saharan Africa under Title II of the Food for Peace Act, Fiscal Years 1992 to 2007
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What Needs to Be Done
To address global food insecurity and accelerate progress toward
halving world hunger by 2015, USAID should
• Work in collaboration with other agencies to develop an integrated
strategy for achieving food security in sub-Saharan Africa
• Prepare and submit an annual report to Congress detailing
progress on these efforts.
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• The 2008 Farm Bill authorized $60 million to USDA for a 5-year pilot program for local and regional procurement
• In 2008, Congress appropriated another $125 million in supplemental International Disaster Assistance and Development Assistance funding to USAID for local and regional procurement
• The 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Bill provided $75 million for global food security, including for local or regional purchase
• GAO is completing its study of local and regional procurement practices of various donors, with a report forthcoming in May 2009
Local and Regional Procurement of Food Aid
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Related GAO Reports
• International Food Security: Insufficient Efforts by Host Governments and Donors Threaten Progress to Halve Hunger in Sub-Saharan Africa by 2015, GAO-08-680, May 29, 2008
• Foreign Assistance: Various Challenges Impede the Efficiency and Effectiveness of U.S. Food Aid, GAO-07-560, April 13, 2007
• Foreign Assistance: U.S. Agencies Face Challenges to Improving the Efficiency and Effectiveness of Food Aid, GAO-07-616T, March 21, 2007
• Foreign Assistance: Lack of Strategic Focus and Obstacles to Agricultural Recovery Threaten Afghanistan's Stability, GAO-03-607, June 30, 2003
• Foreign Assistance: Sustained Efforts Needed to Help Southern Africa Recover from Food Crisis, GAO-03-644, June 25, 2003
For full copies of GAO reports, click on http://www.gao.gov.