Food crisis: Africa's problem becomes our problem

- Generally Food Secure - green
- Moderately Food Insecure - yellow
- Highly Food Insecure - orange
- Extremely Food Insecure - red

In response to the food crisis that has exploded over the news waves over the last few days and in response to rumors of a sub-sahelian "food crisis", here is an excerpt from an email I received from Peace Corps Associate Director in charge of the Natural Resource Management sector. This is through the Malian prism...

"[Experts] confirmed that Mali is in a better position relative to other countries in Sub-Sahelian West Africa regarding food security (especially Senegal, Mauritania, Niger,...). they said the thing to watch is the price of rice relative to coarse grains (millet, sorghum)- people prefer rice becasue it is easier to prepare, but will shift to millet if the price of rice is too high. Currently rice is at 400 CFA per kilo, and the shift to coarse grains hasn't happened. Another strategy you will see people apply to cope with rising rice costs include reducing meat and vegetables in the sauce before they start cutting meals. Another strategy is that people will start using millet flour and processed millet in lieu of wheat and rice products. People will also start to cut back on educational, clothing, and health expenditures if food costs rise. There have been demonstrations about food prices planned in Bamako, but nobody is showing up to protest, so that is a sign that urban-dwellers here are not worried yet.

Mali has implemented an unofficial ban on exports, to ensure that Mali's poor will have access to the grain they need in case of a regional shortage (avoiding exportation of grain to our neighbors who need it more becasue their own stocks are depleted. The experts in the room yesterday were not in favor of this ban- they said that it won't prohibit cross-border trade, but it will lower the price Malian farmers receive for their grains, and it will increase the price the purchasers pay in countries where they need it most. The midddle-man profits more for taking the risk of violating the ban.

One of the great unknowns is how farmers will react during the hungry season- they will have to make a decision to hold on to their grain stocks or sell them. If the rains come early and people are feeling secure, they are more likely to put more grains on the market - making them available for people who have exhausted their own stores. However, if market prices for grains are really low and people are feeling uncertain about next year's potential harvest, they will be more conservative in the amount of grain they choose to sell. This will make it harder for hungry people to get the grain they need. If prices on the local market are low, but they can get higher prices from cross-border "unofficial" trade, they might prefer to do that."

And for all us Americans that assume these are Africa's problems and they are truly sad but what can we do? Well now it is our problem too. Both Costco and Sam's club are rationing rice sales. That is right. IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, we are rationing our food. Now obviously our situation is not as desperate as many other countries but we have been blessed with a warning that does not immediately put our livelihood in jeopardy. Let this lesson remind us that America is not immune to the problems of 'rest of the world.'