Feeding hunger and insecurity

7. ConclusionData from Ethiopia shows that high globalprices have permeated the domestic market;terms-of-trade have deteriorated andmalnutrition and under-five mortality rates increased.However, not all countries have been equally affected.Findings from the Central African Republic revealonly modest increases in prices and statistically insignificantincreases in malnutrition. Research in SierraLeone showed that even within Freetown, the capitalcity, prices and household reactions varied. As experiencedin many regional famines, the response tothe current food security crisis has been poor – ActionAgainst Hunger’s investigation in Liberia identifieda number of flaws in the national responses tothe soaring prices and rising malnutrition rates.Despite no clear increase in malnutrition rates globally,high and volatile global food prices have hada consistent negative impact on the quality andquantity of foods consumed by poor households.Reduction in diet quality may cause micronutrientdeficiencies, which are associated with maternalmortality, and damages the physical and mentaldevelopment of children. Lack of support fromgovernments and the international community hasmeant more and more people are sacrificing futurewelfare for immediate survival, adopting damagingcoping strategies to maintain staple food consumption.This will have long-term implications for poverty,vulnerability and malnutrition. Seasonal hungeris the father of famine. The picture presented hasprovided a glimpse of the complicated connectionbetween high and unpredictable prices on the globalmarket and malnutrition at the lowest level. Thestriking similarities between household reactions toglobal prices and seasonal price fluctuations providecause for concern, but also cause for optimismas counter-seasonal interventions have been improvingand may inform appropriate interventionsto fight hunger.To date, the international response to the Food Crisishas been too little too late. Global debate hasfocused on agricultural productivity, state vulnerabilityand new aid architectures – but too little hasemerged surrounding hunger and malnutrition. Politicalwill has faded since the onset of the FinancialCrisis. Following the High-Level Conference, worldleaders pledged a mere US$12.3 billion to tackle theFood Crisis, not even half the US$25 to US$40 billionrequired, and have donated only US$1billion todate – the lowest ratio of materialised funds to fundspledged of any global appeal in recent history. Thisdisappointing sum of materialised funds illustratesonce again that hunger is seen as part of the contextand does not deserve specific attention or greaterprioritisation. Serious reforms are needed to encouragegovernments and donors to tackle hunger strategicallyrather than simply managing malnutrition onmoral grounds.The recent emergence of the Global Partnership onAgriculture and Food Security has injected new lifeinto the debate surrounding food security and nutrition.The concept of the GPAFS and implementationof the CFA should ultimately be judged on how responsivethey will be to the specific needs and contextof each country. The definition and design ofnational and global strategies should involve a widerange of actors, particularly civil society groups. Wemust look past specific organisational agendas andinterests to provide a comprehensive plan of actionrather than a patchwork of disjointed initiatives withlimited potential impact.Effective interventions will depend largely on adequatefunding and the creation of national coordinationbodies that inform political leaders and policymakersabout the burden hunger and malnutritionimpose on all forms of development. The globalcommunity needs to overcome petty competitionfor resources and concentrate on the needs andrights of all citizens. Major reforms are needed beforehunger can be eradicated. We must be lookingto design mechanisms that can enforce a right tofood from the bottom-up and link surveillance to decision-making.The international community needsto develop deep, mutual accountability with nationalgovernments and all citizens of the South. Most ofall, nutrition must become a priority, a principle indicatorin development, and funding must be providedto achieve clear, ambitious targets.64ACF International NetworkFeeding Hunger and Insecurity