A billion people – one in seven of
the world’s population – go to bed hungry every day. Tanzania’s current
population of 45 million people is expected to triple to 138 million* by 2050,
meaning millions more mouths to feed and diversification of land use. It is
possible for us to feed all of them, but only if we take action now.
Large-scale land investments have
been proposed as a solution to this challenge – but most are not for producing
food and in reality even displace food production.
The fact is, people are not going
hungry because there is not enough food produced – they are hungry because they
do not have access to that food, they don’t have land to produce for
themselves, and they don’t have money to buy the food. Ironically, much of our
food goes to waste. People go hungry in Dar es Salaam today while the shops are
full of food and produce is dumped.
Displacing women from the land where
they grow food, with the justification that larger investment is needed, is
ridiculous and only worsens the problem. We can have piles of food alongside
masses of people going hungry.
In the Mama Shujaa Wa Chakula
“Female Food Hero” 2012 competition, we analysed forms filled in by 4505 women
farmers from 18 regions of Tanzania, in an attempt to get a real picture of who
the country’s small-scale producers really are. 86% of small-scale women
farmers have primary education or lower (15% of them never went to school). If
they are forced off their land or can’t farm, the women’s lack of education
means they are unlikely to find new jobs in the so-called booming service
industry.
42% of the women were single,
widowed or divorced – therefore heading the household and the main earner.
Failure to support women farmers will eventually sink these families into
extreme poverty and dire need of food aid.
Disturbingly, only 5% of the women
surveyed own land. 43.7% are farming on land owned by husbands and 34.6% on
family-owned land. In a country thought to have a millions of bare land, 9% of women farmers are renting
or leasing plots from other people.
“Farming is the most sustainable
sector in Tanzania. We should support small scale farmers not only because they
provide food for their families and our nation, or because it adds up to our
national GDP, but also because there is 80% of employment that we must
protect,” says Halima Mdee, the MP for Kawe.
Women farmers have been the heart
and source of stability in the family and the nation. It’s through them that
the nation has been fed – but the infrastructure, technology, policies and
practices has failed them. It is practically easier and more profitable to
transport apples from South Africa or the UK than to transport the same from
Lushoto.
This is why Oxfam GROW campaign has
brought together a team of seven celebrities to work and campaign with women
small-scale producers, with the vision of ensuring that nobody goes to bed
hungry. We believe hunger and famine are a result of choices that we made, and
that women and children are particularly affected by the injustices of the
current food system. GROW believes the future of sustainable food production
lies in small scale production.
GROW calls for the Government and private sector to
invest in small scale farmers, especially in methods of climate change
adaptation and building resilience, such as improving irrigation, improved
seeds, infrastructure and markets. Farmers are getting the minimal prices
possible for their crops while consumers are paying the maximum price for their
food. Individuals and institutions should support small-scale producers by
buying local food at a fair price. Deliberate efforts and strategy should be
deployed to make sure women farmers own land.
The Ambassadors for Grow Tanzania are....
Halima
Mdee – MP, Kawe “Small scale farming (agriculture) is the only sustainable sector.
We should invest and support farmers not just because they make the nation
food secure, but also because it
contributes to 40% of Tanzania GDP and employs 80% of Tanzania”
Masoud
Ali Kipanya- Cartoonist
“People can live with one jeans and
one t-shirt, you can opt not to watch TV or go to club, but people need to
eat, several times a day. There are no reasons whatsoever for farmers to
be poor!”
Dina
Marious – Radio Presenter “Every time I saw women, men, and
children in dire need of food while there is enough , I knew there is
problem that need to be fixed”
Shamim
Mwasha – Fashion Blogger “I don’t want to see people going to
bed hungry or dying just because my aunt (small scale producer) failed or
had to stop to produce. We need to act now”
Jacob
Stephen – Actor “I am real touched, I am dedicating my
career and life to stand with small scale farmers and change the unfair
food system. Join us!”
Khadija Mwanamboka- Fashion
Designer “I am very
concerned. I expected to see happy and proud farmers because they feed
millions of people. But you have all the reasons to be sad, the challenges
you face are huge. Something need to be done”
And
Shyrose
Bhanji -MP, East African Community
All statistics and facts,
*According
to population Bureu, Carl Haub: 2012
xoxo
Missie Popular
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