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Gisbert Dreyer, Berlin Perspectives for climate-change stricken Africa The way ahead together with Europe
Perspectives for climate-change stricken Africa
are simple, proven hydraulic engineering structures. Such structures commonly consist of a sequence of small earth dams and canals with which the intense rainfalls can be tamed and regulated to become permanent, gentle irrigation for the fields. This prevents erosion and ensures moisture penetrates the deeper layers of the earth. Small water retention basins are integrated into this system so that intermediate dry spells can be bridged. However, it is not feasible to implement such measures with the current economic and social structures in place. Obstacles to agricultural development In many parts of Africa, the use of land by farmers is assigned according to traditional rules, that is, the land is left to individual peasants for the sole use of the tribe, the village community or other traditional authorities. A private property right is not connected with this. Above these traditional rights of use, the state has a universal property claim. In a conflict between the state and the village, the farmer generally loses all rights and is dispossessed. The ownership issue is one of the biggest obstacles to agricultural development in Africa, as there is no legal certainty for private investment and therefore it does not take place. Another huge difficulty is that the overwhelming majority of farmers only possesses very small farmlands, which on their own do not allow for intensification of farming, irrigation systems or market access. This is, in short, the main cause of poverty which cannot be conquered individually. So, is there a solution for overcoming the causes of hunger, poverty and unemployment in the rural areas of Africa? Yes, a tried and tested model in Europe and especially in Germany: an agricultural cooperative. The model of a farmers’ cooperative With this model – in different forms – millions of poor farmers in Europe reached relative prosperity in the 19th and 20th centuries. This modW ater, the source of life, reaches Africa’s soil in the form of rain during the monsoon season. For thousands of years, the yearly cycle of rainy and dry seasons has shaped life and agriculture in Africa. The few weeks of the monsoon will determine a farming family’s fate. Formerly, the beginning and constancy of the monsoon could be counted on and it allowed for sowing, growth and harvest to be timed accordingly. However, because of climate change, this certainty is dwindling. Climate change is becoming tangible As of late, sometimes rain comes too late or there are intermediate dry periods which cause seeds to wither. Other times, torrential rains erode the farming grounds, wash away the seed and ruin the seedlings. All of those events are disastrous for farmers as they not only lose the harvest, but also their investments in seed and fertiliser. This leaves them starving, destitute and often in debt. Africa’s contribution to global climate change is marginal, despite its 1.3 billion inhabitants. The main contributors are the developed, industrialised countries of the East and West. The 800 million small farmers of sub-Saharan Africa suffer the worst consequences. In West Africa, changes in climate have been becoming increasingly tangible in the last ten years. A single farming family is powerless against these recent whims of nature. The only feasible way for farmers to protect themselves against these climatic dangers by Gisbert Dreyer, President of the Dreyer Foundation, Berlin
Gisbert Dreyer has a career in real estate development and has carried out many projects in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Since 2000, he devotes his free time and financial resources to the fight against hunger and poverty in Africa. The Dreyer Foundation focuses its efforts on educational and agricultural projects in West Africa. Since 2010, Mr Dreyer serves as Honorary Consul of Burkina Faso. In 2015, he received the German “Bundesverdienstkreuz am Band” (Cross of Merit) for his work in Africa.
photo: Dreyer Stiftung, by Alessandra Schellnegger
el can be transferred to Africa. With the gradual organisation of farmers in cooperatives and higher-level unions, the problems described above can be overcome. With this approach, the value created will directly benefit the smallholders. Cooperatives, accompanied long-term and protected by donors, can develop growth potential in African states, which also, through secondary and tertiary effects, also give rise to millions of sustainable jobs within and outside of the agricultural sector. In this context, the following prerequisites for a successful agricultural development must also be met: 1. Investment capital for the preparation of fields and procurement of the tools 2. Working capital for seed, fertilisers and other work equipment 3. Qualified workers
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Dreyer Foundation The Dreyer Foundation’s work concentrates and focuses on the Dano region in south-western Burkina Faso. It introduces broadbased projects on several levels to ensure the interaction of each project’s results. The central objective is to enable the Burkinabé to improve their situation based on their own efforts and to provide them with the opportunity to lead a self-determined life. That is why the Foundation invests not only in water projects but also in schools and training facilities, health care programmes, research projects and, not least, in supporting farm cooperatives. In order to plan the future, all of these activities place a strong focus on the advancement of children and young people. > Web: www.dreyerstiftung.de
4. Functioning sales markets 5. Transport infrastructure 6. Functional, regional procurement markets for agricultural material 7. An adapted small loan banking system 8. Ideally, a regional full value chain for appropriate products
Financing is the crucial problem The crucial problem, of course, is the financing of the unavoidable basic investment, which can only be provided by wealthy countries. Since experience has shown that such investments are only used effectively in favour of small farmers when the sometimes-corrupt state apparatus has no influence on them, they must be accompanied by investment protection agreements between the beneficiary and recipient countries. This guarantees donor institutions long-term control over their employed capital. It does, however, mean abandoning stagnant principles of development cooperation with incompetent, corrupt state bureaucracies, which are a major reason for the highly unsatisfactory outcome of development aid over the last fifty years. This does not mean abandoning the sovereignty of African states but emphasising the two-sided responsibility.
The way ahead together with Europe Following this cooperative approach also requires a substantial restructuring of European development aid in political and organisational terms. Temporary, isolated and individual measures must disappear in favour of long-term, well thoughtout strategies. Target projects should be defined with a binding financial framework of at least ten to fifteen years. Without this longevity in planning and financing, the long-term success of development aid in rural areas will fail, and African migration to Europe will continue and increase.
Security & Defence At the NATO summit in Brussels on 11-12 July 2018, Donald Trump bewildered everyone by snubbing and insulting loyal allies. While he made himself implausible by his continuous inconsistent remarks, the unity of the European Members and Canada has prevented a deeper rift with the US. The allies succeeded in stabilising future strategic plans and achieved a cooperation agreement between NATO and the EU.
