Organic Agriculture and Food Security in Africa

i United Nations Conference on Trade and Development United Nations Environment Programme UNEP-UNCTAD Capacity-building Task Force on Trade, Environment and Development Organic Agriculture and Food Security in Africa United Nations New York and Geneva, 2008 ii Note 6\PEROVRI8QLWHG1DWLRQVGRFXPHQWVDUHFRPSRVHGRIFDSLWDOOHWWHUVFRPELQHGZLWK¿JXUHV 0HQWLRQRIVXFKDV\PEROLQGLFDWHVDUHIHUHQFHWRD8QLWHG1DWLRQVGRFXPHQW The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning WKHGHOLPLWDWLRQRILWVIURQWLHUVRUERXQGDULHV 7KHYLHZVH[SUHVVHGLQWKLVYROXPHDUHODUJHO\WKRVHRIWKHDXWKRUVDQGGRQRWQHFHVVDULO\UHÀHFW WKHYLHZVRIWKH81&7$`DQG81(3VHFUHWDULDWV Material in this publication may be freely quoted or reprinted, but acknowledgement is requested, WRJHWKHUZLWKDUHIHUHQFHWRWKHGRFXPHQWQXPEHU$FRS\RIWKHSXEOLFDWLRQFRQWDLQLQJWKH quotation or reprint should be sent to the UNCTAD secretariat (c/o Administrative Secretary, Division on International Trade in Goods and Services, and Commodities, Palais des Nations, *HQHYD6ZLW]HUODQG ,QIRUPDWLRQRQ&%7)DFWLYLWLHVLVDYDLODEOHRQWKH&%7)ZHEVLWHKWSZZZXQHSXQFWDGRUJ FEWI UNCTAD/DITC/TED/2007/15 UNITED NATIONS PUBLICATION Copyright © United Nations, 2008 All rights reserved iii Foreword )RRGVHFXULW\LVDQLVVXHRIJUHDWDQGJURZLQJFRQFHUQLQPDQ\FRXQWULHVSDUWLFXODUO\LQ$IULFD Despite global pledges, the recent report of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food highlighted that the number of people suffering from hunger has increased every year VLQFH Feeding over 6 billion people – and over 9 billion by 2050 – will require a wide range of creative, sustainable agricultural systems which not only provide food, but also factor in the economic value RIQDWXUHEDVHGVHUYLFHVVXFKDVIRUHVWVZHWODQGVDQGVRLORUJDQLVPVWKDWXQGHUSLQDJULFXOWXUH 6LPSO\DSSO\LQJWKH³LQGXVWULDO´DJULFXOWXUDOPRGHOVRIWKHWZHQWLHWKFHQWXU\LQWRWKHWZHQW\¿UVW DVDVLQJOHJOREDOVROXWLRQZLOOQRWVHUYHXVZHOO The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the United Nations (QYLURQPHQW3URJUDPPH81(3WKURXJKWKHLUMRLQW&DSDFLW\%XLOGLQJ7DVN)RUFHRQ7UDGH Environment and Development (CBTF), take food security very seriously and have joined forces WRFRQWULEXWHWRWKHVHDUFKIRUVXVWDLQDEOHVROXWLRQV This study examines the relationship between organic agriculture and food security in Africa, particularly East Africa, which is where the CBTF has been implementing a project on organic DJULFXOWXUHVLQFH2UJDQLFDJULFXOWXUHLVDKROLVWLFSURGXFWLRQV\VWHPEDVHGRQDFWLYHDJUR HFRV\VWHPPDQDJHPHQWUDWKHUWKDQRQH[WHUQDOLQSXWVDQGLWXWLOL]HVERWKWUDGLWLRQDODQGVFLHQWL¿F NQRZOHGJH The evidence presented in this study supports the argument that organic agriculture can be more conducive to food security in Africa than most conventional production systems, and that it is PRUHOLNHO\WREHVXVWDLQDEOHLQWKHORQJWHUP 7KLVLVLQOLQHZLWKWKH¿QGLQJVRIWKH)RRGDQG$JULFXOWXUDO2UJDQL]DWLRQRIWKH8QLWHG1DWLRQV )$2,QWHUQDWLRQDO&RQIHUHQFHRQ2UJDQLF$JULFXOWXUHDQG)RRG6HFXULW\KHOGLQ0D Therefore, we encourage policymakers and development cooperation partners in Africa and DURXQGWKHZRUOGWRWDNHDQHZORRNDWWKLVSURPLVLQJSURGXFWLRQV\VWHPZLWKIUHVKH\HV,WRIIHUV not only improved food security, but also an array of other economic, environmental, health and VRFLDOEHQH¿WV Supachai Panitchpakdi 6HFUHWDU\*HQHUDORI81&7$` Achim Steiner ([HFXWLYH`LUHFWRURI81(3 ... - tailieumienphi.vn