For example, Peanuts. They belong to Zambia's Wichtigstenlandwirtschaftlichen products, only maize soy is grown in even larger quantities. The German Ministry of Development wants to enable Zambian peanut farmers to achieve higher yields in future and to market ir products better – for example, by multiplying certified seeds and using m for ir own sowing. or by selling your crop to a company that roasts nuts or treats m to peanut butter and n distributes m furr.
Or, for example, milk. The Germans support several dairy farmers cooperatives through a Dutch organisation in Zambia. Their farmers are trained in management, feeding and breeding strategies, y can receive loans and y are brought into contact with dairies, among m Italian group Parmalat. The farmers mselves continue to process some of ir milk into drinking yoghurt, which y can n sell at higher prices than pure basic product.
Zambia is one of countries where Ministry of Development has taken a particularly active part in fight against hunger. Because hunger is everyday in Zambia. In current World Hunger Index, which captures nutritional situation in 119 countries of world, country occupies fifth worst rank. Almost half of population has deficiency symptoms, many children are seriously malnourished, many die early.
"Projects only for Better"So country can use help. But now Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, which is close to Left Party, concludes in a study that an important component of German politics does not help poorest, but rar farmers who are already comparatively good – and some major Companies.
"The projects in Zambia reach only a small part of better-off small farmers," says Benjamin Luig, expert on food sovereignty of foundation. The problem is that subsidised companies would be integrated into national, regional or global supply chains – but to do so, a majority of small farmers would not be able to do so. And farmers who succeeded did not produce in end for local market, but for corporations such as cotton and cereal trader NWK Agri-Services, Agrarhandelsriesen Cargill and Italian dairy company Parmalat. In many cases, farmers did not achieve higher prices than before.
© Studio Line Alexandra Edwards editor in Department of Politics, Economy and society, time online to authors pageThe projects in Zambia are part of so-called green innovation Centres: Prestige projects of Ministry of Development, a central element in strategy "a World Without Hunger", which Acting Minister Gerd Müller has proclaimed, inspired by Development goals of United Nations. According to ministry, Green Innovation centres are said to be " regional supply of Nahrungsmittelnverbessern to increase income of small farms UndArbeitsplätze".
In Zambia, for example, one of 14 partner countries, Germany wants to train centres 100,000 farmers. 70,000 farmers should increase ir incomes by 25 percent, 350 new jobs will be created. In total, Ministry intends to provide around 206 million euros for this by year 2021.
The Rosa Luxemburg Foundation now criticizes: instead of promoting decentralized local markets, green innovation centres in Zambia have concentrated on supply chains dominated by groups. "The focus is not on fighting hunger directly, but on pushing commercial agriculture to overcome hunger and poverty." But this does not do justice to majority of farmers.
Date Of Update: 25 January 2018, 12:03
