What comes after Ebola: Hunger

Hilal Elver, whose article this post is from,  is a Special Rapporteur on right to food and a research professor in global studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, plus being co-director of the Climate Change Project. She has written a moving appeal for the world to understand that the consequences of the Ebola epidemic is ongoing and will continue. She writes: 

“ Disasters, natural or man-made, can sometimes be an opportunity for a fresh start. The post-Ebola recovery is a good time to rebuild the agricultural systems in these countries based on the principles of social justice, sustainability and environmental responsibility.”

SOYMB is sorry to say that all she is indulging in is simply wishful thinking if she actually believes capitalism will respond as she hopes. We should remember Einstein's definition of insanity. Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. There can be only one fresh start and that is the establishment of a world economic system capable of incorporating her well-meaning aspirations and that is socialism.

West Africa is on the brink of a major food crisis as a result of the Ebola outbreak. The world's worst Ebola epidemic has endangered harvests and sent food prices soaring in West Africa. If there is no timely intervention by the international community in the form of a massive humanitarian aid campaign and a comprehensive plan for long-term sustainable development, the post-Ebola food crisis will take an even bigger human toll than the disease did. Indeed, food insecurity is threatening not only the three Ebola-stricken countries, but the entire region. Experts are predicting that over a million people in the region will require food aid to preclude food shortages, spikes in prices, and possible famine. In Senegal and other countries in West Africa, food shortages have worsened after regional trade was disrupted due to border closures and quarantine measures. Border crossing closures and the reduction of trade through seaports have curbed food supplies in the whole region. Most West African states are net cereal importers; trade and transportation disruptions have dramatically increased the price of such imports.   

In addition to subsistence farming, cash crops are also under threat. While disruption of cash crop (cocoa, palm oil, rubber, etc) agriculture is not directly tied to food insecurity, it still harms communities that rely on these crops for their livelihoods. Without the money from a cocoa harvest, for example, many rural farmers in West African countries, like the Ivory Coast, would not be able to afford buying food. Also foreign direct investment is also seriously threatened by the Ebola crisis. This is exacerbating the already high unemployment rates and pushing the region even further towards a major food crisis. A World Bank study shows the economic toll from the Ebola epidemic could reach $32.6bn by the end of 2015.

Restrictions on people's movement and quarantine zones to contain the spread of the Ebola led to panic and subsequent food shortages and price hikes. Farmers were severely affected by this crisis, as many abandoned their farms and harvests fearing contracting the disease. This in turn resulted in major disruptions in food production. In Sierra Leone up to 40 percent of local farms were abandoned in the worst affected areas.

The dire effects of reducing the purchasing power of tens of thousands of already vulnerable households in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. "This means less food on their plates and increased nutritional risks for families already on subsistence diets," Bukar Tijani, Regional Representative for the FAO in Africa, said in a statement.

It is important for the international community to take immediate action that will ensure not only the aversion of famine now, but also the creation of a sustainable system of food production for the future. Delivering food directly to the population by humanitarian agencies is not a sufficient response, and can even be harmful in many cases. The international community cannot delay its action on the looming food crisis. To wait and delay a rapid response may well lead to famine, insecurity and the return of conflict. The consequences of post-Ebola food insecurity could cause much more human suffering and chaos than the disease itself.

Furthermore, it would be a big mistake to push these countries towards agricultural policies that prioritise growth, quantity, and export-oriented cash crops over local production and traditional crops. Instead, a positive approach would encourage ecological agriculture that respects local people's food security and food sovereignty. A sustainable response to the food crisis would include agricultural policies that enable states to become self-sufficient in food and allow farmers to exert significant control over government decision-making in the agricultural sphere.