Besides extreme weather conditions brought about by climate change, extensive border procedures, the lack of harmonised standards, non-tariff barriers and armed conflicts further exacerbate this situation.
East African countries lack the political will to put food security at the top of their agenda despite the region’s capacity to be self-sufficient in food and even become a net food exporter.
According to the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), nearly 20 million people in East Africa are food insecure and depend on food relief, and about 40 million are undernourished or malnourished, yet about 80 per cent of the region’s population relies on agriculture for a living.
Besides extreme weather conditions brought about by climate change, extensive border procedures, the lack of harmonised standards, non-tariff barriers and armed conflicts further exacerbate this situation.
To address these challenges, the Consumer Unity and Trust Society organised a two-day meeting of agricultural and trade experts in Geneva, Switzerland on June 19-20.
The participants, drawn from the five EAC partner states, the World Trade Organisation, FAO and other related organisations discussed how to help the EAC and the global community address climate-induced food insecurity through trade.
Experts at the conference noted that non-tariff barriers and delays at border points prolong the time it takes for food to flow from countries with surplus to those with deficit. They also discourage cross-border trade and increase transaction costs, thereby increasing food insecurity.
According to Christopher Onyango, trade policy analyst at the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis, food security depends on trade policies involving taxes, subsidies, institutional and regulatory frameworks, political and social systems and natural factors such as climate conditions.
“When food moves freely, the impact of domestic shortfalls is moderated, farmers have more market access and are motivated to improve production to take place in most suitable areas,” said Mr Onyango.
Tanzania and Uganda are net exporters of staple food while Kenya, Rwanda and Burundi are net importers. While the region is highly dependent on food staples such as maize, beans and rice, cross-border trade in food is largely informal because of policies and regulatory frameworks such as taxes and transport bans.
Many parts of East Africa have been food insecure for decades worsened by climate shocks and disasters, small-scale subsistence production, high dependence on food aid, and low levels of agricultural production.
Major causes of food insecurity in the region include an underdeveloped agricultural sector, collapsed livestock and veterinary services, extreme weather, barriers to market access, restrictive agricultural policies and crop and livestock pests and diseases.