Multiple Factors Contributed to the Food Crisis

The immediate factor contributing to the food crisis was the erratic  weather patterns that disrupted the normal growing cycle, causing maize  production in southern Africa to drop from a 5-year average of about 7.3  million MT to about 5.2 million MT in 2002. The dramatic reduction in  available maize can also be linked to a weak agricultural sector and  government actions, such as Malawi’s decision to sell off its strategic grain  reserve and Zimbabwe’s fast-tracked land reform. Widespread Poverty Contributed to Food Insecurity

The six nations affected by the food crisis are generally low-income  countries. HIV/AIDS Reduces Food Supplies

HIV/AIDS has decreased household food production by attacking people in  their most productive working years, thus reducing the labor force. Food Needs Not Fully Met, but Famine Was Averted

By the end of the April 2002-March 2003 crisis period, approximately 93  percent of the regional cereal gap appeared to have been met. Slow Donations, Poor Infrastructure, Concerns Associated with Biotech Food Were Major Obstacles to an Effective Response

Major obstacles to the food aid effort’s success were the lack of sufficient,  timely food donations; poor infrastructure in recipient countries; and  concerns associated with biotech food. Nonetheless, in aggregate, donors did not make sufficient, timely donations  to WFP. Despite the United States’ early and large donations, the impasse over  biotech food significantly compromised the food pipeline in several ways:   Food aid was reduced and delayed. Declining Support for Agricultural Sector and the HIV/AIDS Epidemic Pose Challenges to Emerging from Crisis into Sustained Recovery

The major challenges to emerging from the current food crisis into  sustained recovery include (1) a decline in agriculture sector investments;  (2) limited scope of existing programs in agricultural development; and (3)  the negative impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. However, this does not negate the overall declining  trend in agricultural lending between 1990 and 2000. Without a concerted  strategy that integrates, among other things, agricultural development, the  impact of HIV/AIDS, and natural disaster management, destabilizing food  crises are likely to recur. USAID objected to our use of the term “biotech  food aid,” noting that the United States provides food aid from the general  U.S. food supply, which may contain biotech crops. U.N. 4.
Why GAO Did This Study

The southern Africa food crisis threatened 15.3 million people in six countries (Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe) with famine. GAO was asked to look at (1) factors that contributed to the crisis, (2) how well the populations' needs were met, (3) obstacles to the food aid effort, and (4) challenges to emerging from crisis.

What GAO Found

Multiple factors contributed to the food crisis. Erratic weather reduced maize (corn) production. A poorly functioning agricultural sector caused food supply shortages. Government actions--including the sale of Malawi's grain reserve and Zimbabwe's land reform--further cut available food. Widespread poverty contributed to food insecurity and the HIV/AIDS epidemic exacerbated food shortages by reducing the labor force. Food aid averted famine, but the overall response did not prevent widespread hunger. About 93 percent of the total cereal gap--the difference between domestic needs and production--was met by the end of the April 2002-March 2003 crisis period. However, food aid deliveries fell short in several countries, and vulnerable households had limited ability to purchase commercial maize. Slow donations, poor infrastructure, and concerns about biotech food were major obstacles to an effective response. Excluding the United States, most donors did not make sufficient, timely donations to the World Food Program. Poor transportation systems and storage facilities hampered efficient food delivery. Zambia rejected food aid because of concerns regarding biotech food; other countries required milling maize for the same reason. This compromised the food aid pipeline given the United States was the region's key donor and its aid may contain biotech food. Declining investments in agriculture and the HIV/AIDS epidemic pose challenges to emerging from crisis into sustained recovery. U.N. and U.S. officials cite the need to reverse declining trends in agricultural investments by international financing organizations, national governments, and donors. Without a strategy that integrates, among other things, agricultural development, the impact of HIV/AIDS, and natural disaster management, food crises will recur.