Despite its agricultural potential, the Great Lakes region of East and Central Africa has had several food security crises. Most international responses, repeated year after year, have been short term in nature. They have failed to consider the needs of affected people. Efforts to address the causes of food security have been half-hearted.

A paper from the Overseas Development Institute, UK looks at seven case studies in Uganda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) carried out by Save the Children UK. It examines humanitarian responses to food shortages caused by conflict-induced displacement and made worse by natural disasters.

Standardised programmes involved the distribution of free food and seeds and the establishment of feeding centres. All case studies had the side-effects of distorting local economies, sustaining economies based on war, strengthening local elites and providing commodities inappropriate to local tastes. In the DRC food aid continued to be delivered months after it had been shown that surplus food was available on the local market at low or near-normal prices.

The authors found that some relief agencies:

• distributed seeds and tools to people who did not need them or to those without access to agricultural land
• assumed that seed distributions boost agricultural productivity and benefit families with malnourished children
• focused narrowly on food production and failed to understand the market factors that help determine food security
• used food-for-work programmes where food was locally available without considering if cash-based programmes were more suitable
• promoted supplementary feeding centres, cooking lessons and demonstration gardens, assuming that diet was actually the main cause of child malnutrition and that mothers were ignorant about infant nutrition and vegetable cultivation
• were not interested in learning from experience or evaluating the impact of interventions.

The authors acknowledge the dedicated work of humanitarian agencies and their staff but urge them to analyse and evaluate the quality and appropriateness of interventions. Donors and relief agencies should:

• examine previous livelihood studies – and if necessary carry out field work to obtain information – prior to making decisions on responses
• understand the extent to which people affected by crisis are functioning in a market economy: this might lead to a greater use of market and cash interventions and a reduction in food distributions
• take greater account of conflict and discrimination, particularly ethnic or clan relations and gender and intra-household issues
• consider a wider range of appropriate, cost-effective interventions
• encourage inter-agency sharing of information, assessments, criticism and advice.

Free handouts of food and seeds may keep influential groups happy but only address the symptoms of larger problems. Food security will only be achieved with a long-term change in attitudes towards humanitarian law, the rights of citizens and the responsibilities of governments.

Source(s):
‘Missing the point: an analysis of food security interventions in the Great Lakes’, Humanitarian Practice Network Paper 47,  Overseas Development Institute, by Simon Levine and Claire Chastre, July 2004 Full document.

Funded by: Save the Children UK

id21 Research Highlight: 21 December 2005

Further Information:
Simon Levine

Contact the contributor: slc@utlonline.co.ug

Humanitarian Practice Network
Overseas Development Institute
111 Westminster Bridge Road
London SE1 7JD
UK

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7922 0331
Fax: +44 (0) 20 7922 0399
Contact the contributor: hpn@odi.org.uk

Humanitarian Practice Network, ODI, UK

Other related links:
'Cash relief in Somalia: an alternative emergency response'

'Problems in measuring the impact of humanitarian interventions'

'Debating biotechnology in southern Africa'

'Humanitarianism as a duty: defending people’s right to food'

Food Security Resource Center

Food for the Hungry International