Why are we still feeding people in Zimbabwe?
Brian McGarry SJ tells us what it’s like at the moment in this devastated country.
Yet another appeal for food relief in Zimbabwe? Yes, I am afraid so! Why are we still asking? You are right to ask.
Why are we still asking for help to feed people? The answer is simple: there are still a lot of very hungry people around. Why is this so? We must be constantly asking ourselves this question and not be afraid of people like those who criticised the Brazilian archbishop, Helder Camara who said, ‘When I feed the poor, they call me a saint; when I ask why they are poor, they call me a communist.’
You are entitled to an answer before you give again. We also need answers, or we may not be doing anything to solve the problem. When we made our first appeal in 2002, food production in Zimbabwe was disrupted by the invasions of large commercial farms, so we could expect crops to be reduced - then the rains failed, making the situation even worse.
This year we have had good rains for the first time since then, but the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) has only received about 480,000 tonnes of maize from farmers - although the country needs about 1.8million tonnes.
Why is this?
The farm invasions were not just a temporary setback. In fact, those farms did not directly contribute much grain for people to eat. Their position was more crucial. Our food production had increased dramatically over the years since independence in 1980. Small peasant farmers were, for the first time, allowed to sell their crops to the GMB and, also for the first time, were helped to invest in production. They became dependent on modern hybrid seeds which, under good conditions, produce more than traditional varieties, but they need artificial fertilisers.
The problem is that, among the farms which were taken over since 2000 were those which produced the hybrid seed. Their owners were driven off, their workers were dispersed, so their skills were lost and equipment stolen, often by people with political influence.
What we saw was the near-destruction of a productive system which had fed us and our neighbours.
Between October and December 2005, no more than half the seed needed to feed the country was planted. Fertiliser deliveries were erratic and late. More than just good rains were needed! The situation looked even worse in the 2006/7 season. Fertiliser and ploughing equipment were more difficult to get and someone seems to have lined his pocket by importing the wrong kind of fertiliser. That is just a small symptom of the corruption of those in power. On top of that, experts warn us that El Nino is active again this year - which could mean another drought. In mid-2005, with the economy already in disarray, the government saw fit to make matters worse. Claiming to ‘clean-up’ the cities, they banned unlicensed small traders and destroyed whole shanty towns. The UN estimate that 700,000 people lost their homes where - even in the cities - many grew a large part of their own food.
Two and a half million people lost their livelihoods. In this situation, just feeding people is as dangerous as asking questions!
On top of this, government insisted that we did not need food aid and would not let international agencies bring any in until it was too late for them to find support for - yet another - appeal. When a government behaves like that, the international organisations - whether governmental, like the UN’s World Food Programme, or private, like OXFAM - can do little.
Our local relief committee and benefactors have done what we can, but our money is running out. This year we face hunger as serious as in the past and outside help is running out. The big agencies may feel this worse than we do - mainly thanks to your help - but we too face problems. We wanted to give people seed, so that they could - once more - become self-supporting, but all our money was spent on food. People will have to survive the next six months - even if they have planted seed to feed themselves. So they rely on you more than ever - especially if they are ever to stand on their own feet again.
Once again, on behalf of us all in Zimbabwe - thank you.
You are ever in our prayers.
Children of Zimbabwe
Yet another appeal for food relief in Zimbabwe? Yes, I am afraid so! Why are we still asking? You are right to ask.
Why are we still asking for help to feed people? The answer is simple: there are still a lot of very hungry people around. Why is this so? We must be constantly asking ourselves this question and not be afraid of people like those who criticised the Brazilian archbishop, Helder Camara who said, ‘When I feed the poor, they call me a saint; when I ask why they are poor, they call me a communist.’
You are entitled to an answer before you give again. We also need answers, or we may not be doing anything to solve the problem. When we made our first appeal in 2002, food production in Zimbabwe was disrupted by the invasions of large commercial farms, so we could expect crops to be reduced - then the rains failed, making the situation even worse.
This year we have had good rains for the first time since then, but the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) has only received about 480,000 tonnes of maize from farmers - although the country needs about 1.8million tonnes.
Why is this?
The farm invasions were not just a temporary setback. In fact, those farms did not directly contribute much grain for people to eat. Their position was more crucial. Our food production had increased dramatically over the years since independence in 1980. Small peasant farmers were, for the first time, allowed to sell their crops to the GMB and, also for the first time, were helped to invest in production. They became dependent on modern hybrid seeds which, under good conditions, produce more than traditional varieties, but they need artificial fertilisers.
The problem is that, among the farms which were taken over since 2000 were those which produced the hybrid seed. Their owners were driven off, their workers were dispersed, so their skills were lost and equipment stolen, often by people with political influence.
What we saw was the near-destruction of a productive system which had fed us and our neighbours.
Between October and December 2005, no more than half the seed needed to feed the country was planted. Fertiliser deliveries were erratic and late. More than just good rains were needed! The situation looked even worse in the 2006/7 season. Fertiliser and ploughing equipment were more difficult to get and someone seems to have lined his pocket by importing the wrong kind of fertiliser. That is just a small symptom of the corruption of those in power. On top of that, experts warn us that El Nino is active again this year - which could mean another drought. In mid-2005, with the economy already in disarray, the government saw fit to make matters worse. Claiming to ‘clean-up’ the cities, they banned unlicensed small traders and destroyed whole shanty towns. The UN estimate that 700,000 people lost their homes where - even in the cities - many grew a large part of their own food.
Two and a half million people lost their livelihoods. In this situation, just feeding people is as dangerous as asking questions!
On top of this, government insisted that we did not need food aid and would not let international agencies bring any in until it was too late for them to find support for - yet another - appeal. When a government behaves like that, the international organisations - whether governmental, like the UN’s World Food Programme, or private, like OXFAM - can do little.
Our local relief committee and benefactors have done what we can, but our money is running out. This year we face hunger as serious as in the past and outside help is running out. The big agencies may feel this worse than we do - mainly thanks to your help - but we too face problems. We wanted to give people seed, so that they could - once more - become self-supporting, but all our money was spent on food. People will have to survive the next six months - even if they have planted seed to feed themselves. So they rely on you more than ever - especially if they are ever to stand on their own feet again.
Once again, on behalf of us all in Zimbabwe - thank you.
You are ever in our prayers.