Hunger in the world: "Substantial customs duties are needed"

Less than a month ago the French magazine L'EXPANSION published a very interesting interview with Mr Marc Dufumier, Professor of Agronomy in charge of the chair of Comparative Agriculture and Development Studies at the National Institute of Agronomy in Paris. 

L'EXPANSION: Could the financial crisis, which has made developing countries more fragile, lead to new food riots?

M.DUFUMIER: Yes, I am pessimistic in this regard. The problem of poverty is far from being resolved. And it is poverty that is the main cause of hunger in the world. About 75% of people suffering from hunger are farmers who do not earn a sufficient income or who cannot produce enough for their subsistence. The remaining 25% are those who have left the rural areas and moved to the cities, because they were not competitive enough.  And it is this population that takes part in the food riots.

How can earnings of small farmers be improved?

Substantial customs duties must be adopted  as an incentive to earning a good and stable income . A policy of guaranteed prices would be of immediate benefit to family farming. It would be more efficient than public development money, which is often lost on the way and never reaches remote rural areas. These funds could instead be retrieved and reallocated among the urban population through job creating schemes. Europe adopted such a policy at the end of the Second World War and could soon achieve excess production levels.

Why should agricultural policies be based on family farming?   

This model has had proven effects in the fight against poverty. A farmer who works his own land knows how to take precautions against bad times, sets aside stocks, diversifies crops and knows how to use renewable energy sources. In Bresil, and in Argentina, subsistence farming has been abandoned and salaried labour has taken its place. Also as soon as the cost of hired farmhands goes up, human labour is replaced by pesticides and engines. Farmers are evicted from their land, whilst no jobs are to be found in the cities. These countries export food, but many of its inhabitants do not have enough to eat.

Can the removal of protectionist trade barriers in the developed countries solve the problem of hunger?

The European Union has promised to do away with its export subisidies by 2013. The export subsidy policy allows exports of farm products to the South at a price lower than the production cost. Its disappearance is a step forward, but there are other subsidies  that should be abandoned as well. Support could instead be redirected towards high quality products and markets which have the capacity to pay, such as the US or Euroope.

At the same time governments in developing countries should have more faith in their farmers ability, to make the right investment choices for instance. At present there is a deep divide between rural areas and urban centres. A better life for people in the cities must of necessity come from an improvement of the financial situation of the farmers. In Madagascar the now ousted president of the country showed outright contempt for the farming community, when he decided to sell off half of the island's arable land to the Daewoo company, a large South Corean corporation.

Will the politicians and decision makers pay heed to these proposals?

The French minister of Agriculture, Michel Barnier, recently demanded a redirection of development aid towards agriculture. But agribusiness lobbyinsts remain powerful in their attempts to halt such a policy. Neither is the European Union in favour of increased support to developing countries. The present crisis would however be an opportunity to restructure the world food supply system entirely

Marc Dufumier

April 20th 2009

L'EXPANSION