Water and Food in Africa: An Introduction
Over
the next few months, I hope this blog gives me the opportunity to engage with a
range of literature concerning the issues of water and food insecurity in
Africa.
Water has also been politicised due to competition between different countries and communities for access and due to the emergence of neoliberalism promoting the private sector and involvement of institutions in managing resources. However, water is fundamentally an issue on the political agenda because it is considered a precious commodity, as illustrated by its inclusion in the Sustainable Development Goals; SDG 6 is to “ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all”, whilst SDG 2 hopes to “end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture”.
Intrinsically related to food production, 70% of global freshwater withdrawals are for agricultural purposes (Kulkarni 2011). Yet in Africa, an overreliance on rain-fed irrigation prevents an estimated 50% increase in agricultural productivity (You et al. 2010). Therefore, looking forward, I hope to further explore some of the issues touched upon above whilst also developing an understanding on agricultural practices and the importance of ‘indigenous knowledge’ in achieving water and food security.
Please feel free to comment any questions below. I look forward to answering them!
The
relationship between water and food is often pursued through the topic of famine,
the central cause of which had, until the late twentieth century, been assumed
to be a result of total reductions in food availability in what was termed the
food availability decline (FAD) hypothesis. However, the work of scholars like
Sen (1976) contested this idea, highlighting the previously neglected importance
of rapid population growth and political failures in exacerbating reduced food
availability.
Water has also been politicised due to competition between different countries and communities for access and due to the emergence of neoliberalism promoting the private sector and involvement of institutions in managing resources. However, water is fundamentally an issue on the political agenda because it is considered a precious commodity, as illustrated by its inclusion in the Sustainable Development Goals; SDG 6 is to “ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all”, whilst SDG 2 hopes to “end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture”.
Intrinsically related to food production, 70% of global freshwater withdrawals are for agricultural purposes (Kulkarni 2011). Yet in Africa, an overreliance on rain-fed irrigation prevents an estimated 50% increase in agricultural productivity (You et al. 2010). Therefore, looking forward, I hope to further explore some of the issues touched upon above whilst also developing an understanding on agricultural practices and the importance of ‘indigenous knowledge’ in achieving water and food security.
Please feel free to comment any questions below. I look forward to answering them!
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